Singapore Dormitories Requirement due to Covid-19

The Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced on 19 May 2020 that the Circuit Breaker measures will gradually ease from 2 June 2020. Construction work will also be allowed to resume in phases but in a safe and controlled manner to minimize the risk of a COVID-19 resurgence. 

There are requirements provided in BCA on COVID-Safe Accommodation Criteria on how the contractors will strictly adhere to protocol and requirements in pertaining to MOM’s Advisory on Safe Living Measures for Operators of Foreign Worker Dormitories prior to restarting work. 

1. COVID-Safe Accommodation Criteria 

a) Safe Distancing Measures Application

• Provide clear demarcation of safe distance (1m apart or follow COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations24) in all areas, including space between beds in workers’ rooms.
• Masks to be worn whenever occupants leave their rooms.
• All communal facilities and spaces to be clearly segregated and ensure workers stay within their designated areas.

b) Cohort and Segregation of Workers 

• In order to reduce intermixing and cross infection of construction workers of different projects across different accommodations, the construction workers will be cohort into a single dedicated accommodation based on their construction projects.
• Dedicated Accommodation refers to:
• On-site Contractor Temporary Quarter (CTQ) – this is preferred as it reduces the need for transportation of workers to the site
• Off-site Temporary Occupation Licence Quarter (TOLQ) – off-site dedicated housing facilities
• Where there is insufficient space to house workers from a project under a single dedicated accommodation, the remaining construction workers shall be cohort into one accommodation and segregated from construction workers serving other projects.

For construction workers who are working on construction projects (including workers performing essential services such as site safety, site maintenance) staying in: 

Construction Temporary Quarters (CTQ) and Temporary Occupation License Quarter (TOLQ) 

• All construction workers staying in a CTQ/TOLQ will only be allowed to work on the same project in which the on-site accommodation is sited and not at other construction projects.
• Construction Workers from other projects are not allowed to stay in the CTQ/TOLQ.

Housing Development Board (HDB) Units / Private Residential Premises (PRP) 

• All construction workers staying at HDB units / PRP are to be cohort at their project site accommodations (CTQ/TOLQ)
• If there are insufficient bed spaces in CTQ/TOLQ or the building of CTQ/TOLQ is not complete, construction workers are to be cohort in other dedicated accommodation.

Purpose Built Dormitory (PBD)/Factory-Converted Dormitory (FCD) including ICPH dormitory

• All Construction workers to be courted in different floors based on their projects (i.e. workers from different projects cannot be located on the same floor)
• Construction workers to be further segregated by worksite teams in different rooms.

c.  3 categories of accommodation: 

• Dedicated- housing workers working at the same worksite (eg. CTQ, TOLQ)
• Dedicated-shared- housing workers of the same company working at different worksites  (eg. FCD)
• Shared- housing workers from various companies, both contractors and subcontractors (eg. PBD)

Dedicated- housing workers working at the same worksite (eg. CTQ,TOLQ)

Dedicated-shared- housing workers of the same company working at different worksites  (eg.FCD)

Shared- housing workers from various companies, both contractors and subcontractors (eg. PBD)

d.  Appointment of Safety Management Officers, Safe Distancing Officers, and COVID- Safe Worker Leaders

Safe Management Officers 

• Builder to appoint Safe Management Officers (SMO) in accordance with Safe Worksite Criteria.
• SMOs appointed under Safe Worksite requirements may also fill the role of accommodation SMOs. For workers staying in PBDs/FCDs, project SMOs can report any cases of non-compliance to dormitory operators for immediate rectification.
• SMOs to coordinate the implementation of Safe Management Measures, which include identifying relevant risks, recommending and assisting in implementing measures to mitigate the risks, and communicating the measures to Safe Distancing Officers (SDO) and all workers in the construction site.
• SMOs to brief the SDO team on corrective actions to be carried out if non-compliance is detected.

Safe Distancing Officers (SDO)

• Builder to appoint Safe Distancing Officers (SDO) in accordance with Safe Worksite criteria to ensure that workers within their assigned teams will adhere to the safe distancing measures and the instructions given by Safe Management Officers (SMO).
• SDOs appointed under Safe Worksite requirements may also fill the role of accommodation SDO.
• SDOs to assist the SMOs to conduct regular inspections and checks to ensure compliance, and report to the SMOs, and document any non-compliance found during the inspections.
• SDOs to notify project SMOs if non-compliance is detected and carry out possible corrective actions while complying with Safe Accommodation Guidelines.

COVID Safe Worker Leader (CSWL) 

• Employers of foreign workers are to appoint one COVID Safe Worker Leader (CSWL) per room to assist roommates in complying with their roles and responsibilities and to check in with them on their physical and psychological well-being.
• CSWLs to gather roommates to conduct daily temperature exercises twice a day and gather their health status.
• CSWLs to keep track of roommate's movements at all times.

Tighter Control of Entry and Exit 

Accommodation Operators to keep records of all visitor's entry/exit movements and to ensure visitors have their temperatures taken and recorded down before entering the accommodation. Visitors who register at temperatures above 37.5 degrees Celsius will not be permitted to enter the accommodations.

Hygiene and Housekeeping

Provide sanitization and hand washing stations at various locations in the accommodations. Ensure that all hand sanitizers and soaps to be refilled regularly.

As above mentioned are the requirements to enhance the specifications of permanent dormitories to improve government resilience in dealing with pandemics, Singapore MOM / MOH is requiring for all new foreign workers (FWs) accommodations to meet the new permanent dormitories specifications.

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