Construction to resume in Singapore

Construction work will resume in Singapore on June 2 in a gradual process, according to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

The BCA said that a gradual resumption is needed to minimise the risk of new Covid-19 outbreaks among construction workers.

Most construction in Singapore has been suspended since April 7, with only around 5% of the construction workforce working on a small number of critical infrastructure projects

From June 2 the projects which will resume will be those that cannot be left idle for too long due to safety concerns, and critical and time-sensitive projects, such as MRT and Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) tunnelling projects. Previously suspended residential renovation works will also be allowed to resume.

BCA expects another 5% of the construction workforce to gradually resume work in the month of June, bringing the total of construction workers to still only 10% of the total construction workforce.

All works will require approval from BCA before they can restart. Migrant workers in the construction industry must be tested before they are allowed to return to work. In addition, construction projects must put in place adequate safe management measures.

Some of the safety measures include employers tracking the daily health status of workers, and to manage workers’ interactions on rest days; regular Covid-19 testing for the workforce; worksites to use national digital check-in system and segregating workers by teams into different work zones, and having staggered breaks.

Mr Hugh Lim, CEO of BCA, said, “We recognise that such measures are an additional imposition, and we are heartened that companies do see the need to protect their workers, and to prevent further outbreaks of Covid-19 which may halt work, and derail the restart. BCA will work closely with the industry to help companies to be ‘Covid-Safe and restart ready’, so that more projects can resume over the next few months.”