Snap Insight: Protecting Singapore’s outdoor workers from haze is easier said than done
Financial pressures make reducing haze exposure difficult for Singapore's outdoor workers, says Olivia Jensen of NUS’ Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk.
Singapore's outdoor workers, such as delivery riders and construction crews, face the challenge of balancing their health and livelihoods amid the haze. While the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued guidelines for employers to pause outdoor work for vulnerable workers, the difficulty of reducing exposure persists. Many of these workers rely on income generated from outdoor activities and are less inclined to avoid them.
Even with efforts by platform operators to distribute N95 masks to workers, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and PM2.5 readings may not fully capture the extent of their exposure to pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. To aid outdoor workers in making informed decisions about their health, extending air quality monitoring to high-exposure areas would be beneficial.
Informing platforms and workers about localised air quality could help them take appropriate precautions when outdoor work cannot be avoided.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Singapore haze eases overnight, but air quality remains unhealthy channelnewsasia.com
