Speech | Welcome Address at REDAS-WSHC Safety Leadership Forum 2025 by Mr Tan Swee Yiow | 10 Sep 2025

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State for Manpower and for Culture, Community and Youth

Fellow members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning and a warm welcome to the sixth Safety Leadership Forum jointly organised by REDAS and the Workplace Safety and Health Council.

It is a privilege to have all of you here today, especially our Guest-of-Honour, Minister Dinesh Vasu Dash.

Your presence highlights the importance of this forum, and the commitment we all share towards safety and health in our industry.

Progress and Challenges

In 2024, Singapore recorded 43 workplace fatalities, reminding us that safety must remain our top priority.

At the same time, major injuries fell to a record low and overall workplace injuries declined, showing that steady progress is possible when leadership, accountability and innovation come together.

This year’s theme, “Achieving Zero Harm, Managing Challenges Together,” captures both our ambition and our responsibility.

Zero Harm is not a slogan.

It means putting safety into the way we design, plan, procure, and run our projects. And it means working hand in hand with all partners across the value chain.

Raising Standards

To support this effort, REDAS has worked with our partners to refresh the Design for Safety and WSH Good Practice Guide.

We have also shared our DfS Good Practice Library of case studies with the WSH Council, so the lessons from our members can benefit the wider industry.

Our members are already putting DfS into practice.

UOL, for example, has widely adopted Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction in their projects showing how PPVC can cut waste while improving safety and productivity on site.

I am also excited to share that, later this year, REDAS and SCAL will be piloting an interactive LEGO Serious Play workshop.

It will give WSH Officers a hands-on way to share their experiences, surface fresh ideas, and build stronger ownership of safety on the ground.

Put together, these initiatives are not just about guidelines on paper.

They are meant to be useful, practical, and something our members can bring back to their projects to strengthen safety culture in real and meaningful ways.

Today’s programme will also look at leadership models, emerging challenges, practical strategies we can all take back to our organisation.

Member Leadership in Action

Across the industry, safety is increasingly seen as a leadership responsibility and strategic advantage.

Senior management are now more visible on site, walking the ground and talking to workers.

Each member does it in their own way, but the message is the same: when leaders step on site and speak directly with workers, safety becomes personal, not just procedural.

We are also seeing members embrace digital tools to strengthen safety on site.

One example is Lendlease’s video analytics trials at their recent projects, which help detect unsafe practices before accidents happen.

Many members have also stepped up efforts to protect workers’ well-being, especially outdoors in our hot and humid climate.

For instance, Frasers Property has introduced heat stress prevention measures, including hydration points and healthier drink options.

Recognition is another area where members are driving culture change.

A good example is CDL’s incentive programme, which offers up to S$30,000 to contractors with stellar safety performance.

These efforts show that safety excellence is both valued and rewarded.

Together, these examples highlight how developers are turning safety from compliance into a competitive edge.

It strengthens reputation, improves productivity and helps us build stronger partnerships.

Shared Responsibility

Fellow industry leaders, colleagues and friends, safety is a shared responsibility.

Every developer, contractor, consultant, regulator and worker has a role to play.

Only by managing challenges together can we move closer to our vision of Zero Harm.

In closing, I thank Minister Dinesh, the Council, our speakers, panelists, sponsors and organising committee led by Paul for their support.

Most of all, I thank you, our members and partners, for your continued leadership and commitment.

Let us continue to build a stronger safety culture and a safer, more resilient built environment for Singapore.

Thank you, and I wish you a productive and inspiring forum.

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