Snap Insight: Protecting Singapore’s outdoor workers from haze is easier said than done

Singapore's outdoor workers face a challenging dilemma as haze levels approach hazardous thresholds. Their health versus livelihoods hangs in the balance, says Olivia Jensen of NUS' Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk. Daily commutes still see construction crews, cleaners and security guards on the move, along with food delivery riders navigating traffic in the haze.

While some employers are taking steps, financial pressures make reducing exposure difficult. Platform operators must advise on haze protection under the Platform Workers Act, and some have distributed N95 masks. However, delivery riders also face pollution from vehicle emissions, making 24-hour PSI and PM2.5 readings an incomplete picture of exposure.

The Ministry of Manpower advises employers to use 1-hour PM2.5 readings to pause work for vulnerable workers. Future haze episodes warrant extending air quality monitoring to high-exposure locations, including busy intersections and delivery pick-up points. Ideally, measurements should account for all PSI components, providing workers with a clearer picture of their exposure.

Until then, proper N95 mask use during times of elevated particulate pollution remains an important precaution, helping to reduce inhalation of fine particles when outdoor work cannot be avoided.