Tang Tan Kia, Siang Lee Hock, Koh David
Department of Occupational Health, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore.
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;46(2):136-41. doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2006.02.005. Epub 2006 Apr 19.
Singapore is an island republic in South East Asia with a workforce of about 2.1 million including 0.7 million employed in the manufacturing industry. Singapore's industry is diversified and the main growth sectors include microelectronics, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and biomedical sectors. Exposure to chemical hazards is one of the main occupational health problems in the manufacturing sectors. The main roles of government in the protection of workers against safety and health hazards are to set standards and provide a proper infrastructure for industry to self-regulate. The occupation safety and health laws must provide adequate protection of workforce but must not disadvantage local industry in this globally competitive economy. To ensure a level playing field, Singapore's occupational exposure standards are benchmarked against those established in the developed countries. These standards are reviewed regularly to ensure they are realistic and relevant in tandem with worldwide trends. Industry and stakeholders are consulted before any new standards are introduced. In enforcing the laws relating to exposure standards, legal and administrative procedures are followed to ensure fairness and to prevent abuse.
新加坡是东南亚的一个岛屿共和国，拥有约210万劳动力，其中70万人受雇于制造业。新加坡的工业多元化，主要增长领域包括微电子、化工、石化、制药和生物医学领域。接触化学危害是制造业主要的职业健康问题之一。政府在保护工人免受安全和健康危害方面的主要作用是制定标准，并为行业自我监管提供适当的基础设施。职业安全与健康法律必须为劳动力提供充分保护，但在这个全球竞争激烈的经济环境中，绝不能使本地产业处于不利地位。为确保公平竞争环境，新加坡的职业接触标准以发达国家制定的标准为基准。这些标准会定期审查，以确保它们符合全球趋势且切实可行。在引入任何新标准之前，都会征求行业和利益相关者的意见。在执行与接触标准相关的法律时，会遵循法律和行政程序，以确保公平并防止滥用。
