[SINGAPORE] The Republic’s tripartite partners have launched an Alliance for Action (AfA) aimed at improving workplace safety and health.
This comes as people remain economically active for longer and are calling for proposals from organisations to develop practical solutions.
These views will go towards informing the Alliance for Action on Safety and Health for Employment Longevity, which was launched at the Workplace Safety and Health Conference 2026 on Thursday (Jul 23).
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that the AfA seeks to develop solutions in three key areas.
The first is preventing workplace injuries across the broader workforce, beyond traditionally high-risk sectors.
The second focuses on helping employees return to work after a serious injury or illness.
The third is adapting workplaces and redesigning jobs to make work tasks, processes and environments safer and more inclusive for Singapore’s increasingly diverse workforce, whose members have varying physical abilities and health needs.
MOM said Singapore-registered companies will have till Aug 31 to submit their proposals.
Selected applicants will be required to participate in an innovation programme to develop their prototypes over approximately 14 months, beginning in August 2026.
SEE ALSO
Applicants will also receive funding support of up to S$200,000 per prototype, along with access to resource persons and support from an assigned account manager.
Thereafter, the prototypes will be evaluated by the AfA Secretariat, which comprises MOM and its tripartite partners National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
Around 30 organisations will be selected, with balanced representation across the AfA’s three focus areas, said MOM.
Workplaces must evolve
Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said on Thursday that practical, scalable solutions – which can range from digital tools to pilot projects and new services – are welcomed.
He added that as Singaporeans live and work longer, “workplaces must evolve to support the safety and health of an increasingly diverse workforce, and empower them to maximise the full potential of their longer careers”.
Separately, NTUC assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong said in a social media post on AfA’s launch that while preventing workplace injuries remains critical, equal attention must be paid to what happens after a worker experiences a serious injury or illness.
Yong said: “For many workers, that is when the real struggle begins. The longer a worker stays away from work, the harder it becomes to return.”
Cancer illustrates why this is becoming increasingly important.
The Business Times previously reported that one in four Singapore residents is expected to develop cancer by the age of 75, with incidence rising sharply among those in their 30s and 40s – years typically associated with peak career and family responsibilities.
From 2019 to 2023, there were 4,995 cancer diagnoses among those under 40, up 34 per cent from the 3,729 cases between 2003 and 2007, based on the latest Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report.
At the same time, survival outcomes for common cancers such as breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers have improved, reflecting advances in treatment and earlier detection.
