Keeping Our Workplace Safe

The Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST), tripartite partners, the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC), and industry associations are calling for increased vigilance and to initiate a Safety Time-Out (STO) from 8 November 2024 to 22 November 2024 to prioritise safety of construction activities, even as the industry gears up towards the upcoming festive season and new year milestones.

While the Workplace Safety & Health (WSH) performance in the first half of 2024 was encouraging, the recent performance in the Construction sector is concerning. Between July to October 2024, there were 10 fatalities from the Construction sector.

Senior management of developers and contractors are therefore strongly encouraged to conduct a STO to engage with teams on site, review safety procedures, and complete the STO activities. Public sector agencies will lead by example and call on their contractors to conduct STOs at their worksites.

The STO should focus on the following three areas that are of particular concern:
1️⃣ Struck by falling objects
2️⃣ Vehicular safety hazards
3️⃣ Safe lifting and rigging

Besides conducting a STO, here are some other important tips to ensure a safe and healthy workplace:
✅ Having robust risk management - companies are encouraged to review and strengthen their WSH systems and ensure proper implementation.
✅ Foster a speak-up culture in your workplace - empower workers to report safety concerns and always follow established safe work procedures. Safety is everyone's responsibility.
✅ Enhance your WSH capabilities through programmes like and
✅ Adopt technology to enhance safety through pre-emptive safety monitoring and leverage robotics & automation to mitigate work-at-heights risks and heat injuries.

Industry may also tap on available support schemes such as and for support in technology adoption.

For more information on conducting a STO and other safety tips, please visit

🧠 Intelligent systems and advanced technologies are transforming the Facilities Management (FM) industry!

The FM team at Singapore Sports Hub uses drones and AI to capture and analyse thousands of building façade inspection photos – significantly enhancing operational efficiency and safety.

Meanwhile, CBM Solutions has integrated digitalisation into their FM operations. Through a digital monitoring platform called DigiHUB, its FM team can monitor and manage various assets in their properties in real-time, allowing for proactive maintenance and swift issue resolution.

Embracing technology and digitalisation also means that BE job roles are redefined, and BE professionals can take on higher value roles, such as data analysis!

📖 the article to find out more.

🤖 Hear from Hi-Tek Construction on how it is embracing robotics and automation (R&A) solutions to tackle challenges like the shrinking pool of skilled workers and rising employment costs. This shift not only results in productivity gains (painting speed improved by 2.5x), but also creates a safer and healthier work environment.

In Hi-Tek’s pilot, a 4-room HDB flat was painted by a robot within 90 minutes, whereas manual painting would have taken 70 minutes with three workers. With just one worker operating two painting robots, the robots can autonomously paint two units, all controlled via a user-friendly tablet interface.

Hi-Tek Construction Pte Ltd started its R&A journey last year and is now well-placed to meet HDB’s recent requirement for new BTO flats to be painted by robots in 2025.

🎥 Watch the video to explore the benefits of integrating R&A solutions into your work processes and see how they can transform your operations!

What an unforgettable celebration at the BCA Awards 2024! ✨🎉

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating our incredible winners! Your passion, innovation, and dedication to the industry truly shined, and we couldn't be prouder to honor your achievements.

🎥 Watch the video highlights to relive the best moments ofthe BCA Awards 2024!

We are never done building Singapore and will be back again next year to celebrate excellence in the BE sector.

👀 Watch this space for more exciting updates!

The JTC Logistics Hub @ Gul project utilised the SEN Innovative Steel system to address challenges such as the need for extensive on-site manpower due to its complex Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) features, which required massive temporary scaffolding and welding.

As a result, the project was able to boost productivity by 36%, reduce material wastage, enhance safety by lowering risks for workers, and improve the availability of internal space. The project team took the opportunity to implement the use of SEN Innovative Steel after they were introduced to this system from one of the learning trips that was organised by Kimly Construction Pte Ltd.
Congratulations to the team for winning the Project of the Year Award 2024!

🎥 Watch the full video to find out how innovation and global insights drove the success of the project at

🔗 To find out more about Project of the Year, visit

📢 As announced in March 2024 at the Ministry of National Development Committee of Supply (MND COS) debate, the Contractors Registration System (CRS) will be expanded to serve as a nation-wide registry of construction firms.
 
Taking effect from 1 June 2025, all firms hiring construction S Pass and/or Work Permit holders will be required to register with CRS. At the same time, BCA will also revise the CRS registration requirements at the entry grades to keep pace with current market prices:
 
✅ A minimum paid up capital (PUC) of $50,000 for all categories
 
✅ A minimum track record of $300,000 in total over the past three years, or about $100,000 per year on average, for all categories
 
🔗 You may refer to the BCA circular dated 7 June 2024 for more details, or visit

While building owners are working hard to build sustainably, building users like you and I can also contribute to this sustainability effort by adopting sustainable and energy-saving habits. This can help organisations achieve their sustainability ambitions and decrease the building’s overall impact to the environment. 

BCA is proud to be part of ilightsingapore’s Switch Off, Turn Up (SOTU) energy-saving initiative.  Between 31 May and 23 June 2024, we pledge to play our part by powering off non-essential lighting and switching air-conditioning to more optimal temperatures in our buildings – BCA Headquarters at JEM Office Tower and BCA Braddell Campus.  

By taking this small step, we hope to contribute to thenation-wide effort to reduce overall energy consumption, and transit to a more sustainable, low-carbon Built Environment.  

📹

Join the CORENET X Voluntary Phase from 1 June 2024

The momentum for CORENET X deployment is gaining pace! At a recent industry seminar, over 600 participants heard firsthand from participants using CORENET X in their ongoing pilot projects. Many thanks to the following speakers for taking their time to share their experiences and offer helpful tips and advice on easing the upfront work:  

• Ar. Tay Seok Cheng, Deputy Head, Property Development Division, City Developments Limited
• Ar. Tang Kok Thye, Associate Partner, ADDP Architects LLP
• Mr Kenneth Loo, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Straits Construction Singapore Pte Ltd

We also would like to give special thanks to the BIM solution vendors and CORENET X training providers for their showcases at the event, exemplifying the technological enablers of CORENET X and propagating the new Regulatory Approval for Building Works to the industry. 

Co-created by both industry and agencies, CORENET X which is powered by digital technologies, embodies the spirt of collaboration amongst Built Environment stakeholders to transform the way we build. We encourage more pilot projects to join us on this journey together in the upcoming voluntary phase commencing 1 June 2024. Interested firms can submit your requests via:

Straits Construction, Mott MacDonald, Chip Eng Seng: Nurturing Staff Beyond Technical Expertise

With Singapore’s annual construction demand projected to be between $31 billion and $38 billion over the next three years, building a stable workforce and a skilled talent pool is crucial for firms to stay competitive and capture future market opportunities.

Beyond technical skills, today’s talents seek holistic development, including leadership, communication and mentorship. This focus on holistic growth not only advances professional development but also enhances project delivery for firms. We are delighted to showcase how Straits Construction, Mott MacDonald and Chip Eng Seng nurture and develop their employees.

✔️ Well-rounded development approach

Straits Construction: Mr Wong Hau Fei, Technical Manager, shared that enhanced communication skills have led to more efficient interaction with management and clients, affirming his decision to rejoin Straits Construction. The company’s dedication to professional growth with curated courses for managers has helped him take up bigger roles, such as chairing a technical committee for a significant project.

Mott MacDonald: Similarly, Mott MacDonald supports its employees’ pursuit of professional credentials while providing mentorship and career planning. Ms Li Yihao, a structural engineer, benefits from these initiatives as she works towards her chartership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) under the guidance of Ms Peng Yi. This fosters employees’ adaptability and experience, enhancing firms’ project handling capabilities.

✔️ Internship to jumpstart careers

Chip Eng Seng strategically forges partnerships with educational institutions to tap into a pool of talented students eager to start their careers. For Mr Darius Tay, embarking on an internship at Chip Eng Seng’s CES_Innovfab sparked his career. This experience allowed both the firm and talent to ensure a good fit, leading to a smooth transition into a full-time role at CES_Salcon, where he continues to build on the skills he developed during his internship.

At the heart of these success stories is the belief that well-rounded development benefits both employers and employees. By nurturing skills beyond technical expertise, built environment firms are not only retaining talent but preparing them to lead the industry into the future.

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As part of industry transformation efforts, BCA advocates the adoption of technologies that help raise construction productivity.

It is heartening to see construction firms like Zheng Keng Engineering & Construction (ZKEC) adopting Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) technologies, such as the advanced precast concrete system (APCS) construction method. This approach shifts some of the on-site work to safer, factory-like settings, allowing firms to achieve up to 20% manpower savings. At the same time, it can potentially reduce work-at-heights related on-site risks and accidents. Additionally, ZKEC is employing artificial intelligence in video surveillance and heavy machinery to automatically flag safety hazards for immediate action, freeing up safety personnel for higher-level tasks.

We urge more firms to join our industry transformation journey and create safer, more efficient workplaces! Discover how SMEs can tap into the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) to fuel their digital transformation journey: