SINGAPORE — Despite relatively clear skies in the past three days, the Government is preparing plans to deal with the scenario where the haze returns to the hazardous levels of last week, and Singaporeans should prepare themselves for a slowdown and even a disruption to services if they are implemented.

The chairman of the Haze Inter-Ministerial Committee, Dr Ng Eng Hen, said yesterday that these plans are necessary to ensure that life here proceeds as normally as possible, if at a slower pace.

Dr Ng, who is also Defence Minister, was speaking at a press conference held after several members of the Cabinet visited workers at a construction site for public housing and Changi Airport who are likely to be affected if the choking, acrid days of late last week — when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) went as high as 401 — returns.

While he felt that Singapore was “blessed” over the weekend by local winds which blew the haze northwards, Dr Ng said smoky conditions may return as fires are still burning in Central Sumatra. There were some 437 hot spots detected in Central Sumatra as of yesterday, almost four times the number found a week ago.

He urged Singaporeans to be patient and to adjust their expectations while not letting their lives be disrupted by the haze. Dr Ng said: “Depending on what the PSI is, the impact can be minimal or very disruptive … The haze is everywhere and if it worsens, there will be an impact on daily lives.

“It may mean buses and cars driving slower because visibility is lower … even your garbage disposal will be affected if sanitary workers need to take longer breaks or work slower with masks because it’s an outdoor job and there is physical activity (involved).”

Thus, Dr Ng stressed that the key would be to “adjust, slow down but don’t stop” while at the same time ensure the health of those here remains a priority. To ensure that Singaporeans know what to expect and what actions should be taken, he said that all Government ministries will be sharing their haze action plans “over the course of this week” to inform the public of worst-case scenarios and the mitigating measures they should take.

However, he added that all stakeholders, such as employers and not just the Government, must be on board to make the plans workable. “The Government will lead and facilitate and Singaporeans must support, to do their part.

“But we also need enlightened employers who must ensure that their workers are safe by adjusting and adapting flexible work practices. The union leaders are on board in this effort to ensure that workers are being looked after and to help management get on with operations,” he said.

Dr Ng’s words were echoed by Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin who also encouraged employers to be vigilant of their workers’ pre-existing conditions, flexible in work processes and proactive in mitigating risks during this crisis.

Companies should keep up-to-date with the National Environment Agency’s daily health advisories and haze outlook to “know the situation and adjust accordingly”, said Mr Tan.

Responding to a question from the media, Dr Ng felt that “it is not possible” for a central agency to come up with “a set of instructions that covers every … working circumstance”.

He said: “What we can do is come up with general guidelines and within businesses, including small and medium enterprises, (they can) localise it, customise it ... If we do that, workers will be able to do their job.”

National Trades Union Congress Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How said the labour movement has issued advisories to its industry-based affiliates such as the Building, Construction and Timber Workers’ Union to help unionised companies develop appropriate haze plans.

Singapore National Employers Federation President Stephen Lee said that businesses should come up with detailed business contingency plans, with clear communication instructions so that they will not be “caught by surprise” should the haze return.

He added that the SNEF will adhere to any directives coming from the Government, while reminding companies that it is their responsibility to ensure safe working conditions for their workers. These include providing necessary equipment such as masks, eye drops and allowing even longer rest periods if work has to be carried out outdoors.