Office workers wearing masks pass buildings in the central business district shrouded by haze after a rain shower in Singapore September 15, 2015. Photo: Reuters
Agencies to revive mitigation plans drawn up during record-breaking episode of haze in 2013
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 15 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — With the haze that has cloaked Singapore unlikely to let up over the next two days, various government agencies are reviving mitigation plans drawn up during the record-breaking episode of haze in 2013, including the scheme that subsidises medical treatment for haze-related conditions.
Singapore’s skies are expected to be hazy for the next two days, with fluctuations likely through the day, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (Met Service).
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is likely to be in the unhealthy range for much of today, and may creep into the low end of the “very unhealthy” (201-300) range if denser haze is blown in by unfavourable winds, it said in a media briefing yesterday evening.
Some respite could come on Friday, in time for the Formula One race this weekend. The Met Service said prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the south-east then, leading to an improvement in haze conditions.
But until then, air quality here could deteriorate at some points over the next two days to levels seen on Monday night, when the 24-hour PSI hit 166 at 9pm, and one-hour PM2.5 concentrations hit 341 microgrammes per cubic metre at 8pm. As of 11pm yesterday, the 24-hour PSI was 108 to 127.
Air quality has deteriorated over the past few days because of shifting winds blowing from south and south-west that swept the haze in from Sumatra, said the Met Service. The wind direction was due to the presence of a tropical storm in the South China Sea.
Government agencies including the Education Ministry and People’s Association stand ready to protect the population, assured Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday. He was hopeful that Singapore’s haze situation this time round will not be as severe as in 2013, when the PSI crossed the 400 mark.
This is because the typhoon in the South China Sea off Vietnam has made landfall and could decrease in intensity, resulting in less westerly or southwesterly winds bringing haze to Singapore, he said. “But it’s a very dynamic situation, we cannot make foolproof, 100 per cent predictions. My key message to Singaporeans is to be ready, to be psychologically prepared, to make use of all the measures and precautions and stockpiles we have in place,” said Dr Balakrishnan after the media briefing.
Under the Haze Subsidy Scheme, those aged 65 and above, those aged 18 and below, as well as the lower-income, will get subsidised treatment for haze-related conditions such as bronchitis and asthma at polyclinics and more than 450 participating clinics. Pioneers pay no more than S$5, other eligible Singaporeans pay no more than S$10, and those on Public Assistance will be fully subsidised.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will today kick off the distribution of 30,000 packs containing items such as instant noodles, N95 masks and Vitamin C tablets to the vulnerable groups such as the elderly living alone or with respiratory conditions. If the haze worsens, the People’s Association will open air-conditioned rooms at community clubs and residents’ committee centres for residents such as students studying for exams.
The Education Ministry assured the public it has sufficient enclosed spaces in schools for students. Primary and secondary schools could be closed if air quality is forecast to reach the hazardous level.
Other measures are outlined on its website.
The Singapore Armed Forces will adjust physical and outdoor activities accordingly when PSI readings exceed 100.
It will issue N95 masks to servicemen performing essential outdoor duties when the 24-hour PSI exceeds the “very unhealthy” range.
The Manpower Ministry said its haze guidelines from 2013 have been updated, with stronger measures for very high haze levels. Should the 24-hour PSI breach 400, workers should use full-face respirators instead of N95 masks when doing prolonged outdoor work, it advised.
It will also look into complaints related to workplace safety and health, such as if crane operations are conducted in low-visibility conditions.
“We expect the employers, who know their own operations best, to take appropriate precautions so that you don’t endanger human life and you don’t risk the health of the employee. In particular, employers need to be aware of which … employees have heart or respiratory problems,” said Dr Balakrishnan, whose ministry is investigating sources of haze for action to be possibly taken under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.
The Ministry of Defence remains in close contact with the Indonesian authorities and the Singapore Armed Forces “stands ready to support and assist Indonesia when activated”.
Be ready, make use of all measures, stockpiles in place for haze: Dr Balakrishnan
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan says Singapore needs to take an "expectant monitoring posture" and adjust its response as the haze levels increase or decrease.
Diane Leow, Channel NewsAsia 16 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: Singapore cannot just stop because haze has arrived on its shores, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan. Instead, it should adopt an "expectant monitoring posture" and adjust its response accordingly, he said to the media on the sidelines of a technical briefing by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Tuesday.
"As the haze levels increase, we have to increase our level of precaution. As the haze levels decrease, we can afford to relax. So we have to take kind of a expectant monitoring posture and adjust our responses accordingly," Dr Balakrishnan said.
"My key message to Singaporeans is to be ready, be psychologically prepared and to make use of all the measures and precautions and stockpiles that we have in place. And because we’ve been through this before I am very sure we will get through this very well this time, as well," he said.
He added that Singapore is focused on three key objectives: To protect its population; to work with the Indonesians to put out the forest fires causing the haze and identify and culprits; and to send an "unequivocal signal" that Singapore "will not hesitate to take the full action under the law" against companies involved.
He added that the haze is a "very dynamic situation", and authorities are unable to make "foolproof, 100 per cent predictions."
"I’m sure Singaporeans will rise up to the occasion and we will make sure no person, no child, no elderly person who’s vulnerable will be left alone, or left behind or not have access to the support of the community," Dr Balakrishnan said.
FIRST TIME TRANSBOUNDARY HAZE POLLUTION ACT HAS BEEN TRIGGERED
Dr Balakrishnan also spoke about the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in the context of this year's hazy conditions. The Act enables authorities to prosecute individuals or companies in neighbouring countries that cause severe air pollution in Singapore through slash-and-burn agricultural practices. Errant companies can be fined up to S$2 million if they contribute to the 24-hour PSI remaining at 101 or higher for 24 hours or longer.
"The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act sets up certain threshold conditions at which certain provisions can be evoked. As far as I know, these two conditions have been met. That's why when I called the Indonesian Minister for Environment and Forestry yesterday, I made a special appeal to share the names of the companies who are currently being investigated by the Indonesian authorities," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Who is responsible for the fires needs verification from the Indonesian authorities, he added. "We know this is El Nino season, it’s a very dry season so you can have bush fires but we know from experience, the majority of these fires, in fact the Indonesians have said so – the majority of these fires are started by human beings. We can argue whether it's small holders or large companies or where large companies are working in cohort with the small holders.
"I want to make sure all executives, shareholders, owners, financiers of such companies know how seriously we take this issue, and that if we can get the evidence we will not hesitate to take the fullest action possible against these companies. But this is new. Last year it wasn't triggered. It's the first time it's been triggered," he said.
“We need effective, enforcing and investigation on the ground. And that’s why we called upon the Indonesian government to fulfil its own laws and to impose its own laws on the companies that are engaged in such behaviour. Regardless of whether the company has a connection to Malaysia or Singapore or Indonesia, as long as we can find a means to take action against the companies, we will do so," Dr Balakrishnan added.
On Tuesday, the NEA said Unhealthy levels of haze have persisted since 8pm on Sep 12 and that the haze situation is unlikely to see significant improvement over the rest of the week.
- CNA/dl
Haze subsidy scheme for medical treatment to be revived tomorrow
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 16 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — Hazy conditions in Singapore are likely to persist for the next few days, fluctuating through the day, the Meteorological Service Singapore said. For the next 24 hours, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index is expected to be unhealthy and could enter the low end of the very-unhealthy range if denser haze is blown in by unfavourable wind conditions.
But an improvement could be seen by Friday — in time for the Formula One Grand Prix — as prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the south-east by then.
From tomorrow (Sept 16), the Haze Subsidy Scheme will be revived to help reduce medical costs for haze-related conditions for the elderly, the young (aged 18 and below) and lower-income Singaporeans, the authorities announced at a press briefing today. First introduced in 2013 when the haze hit record levels, under the scheme, pioneers pay no more than S$5 and others eligible pay no more than S$10 when they see participating healthcare providers for conditions such as asthma, conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis. Those on public assistance will be fully subsidised.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will kickstart distribution of packs containing items such as instant noodles, N95 masks and Vitamin C tablets to the more vulnerable groups tomorrow. By next Tuesday, 30,000 packs will have been distributed to people including the elderly living alone or with respiratory conditions, said the People’s Association.
The Manpower Ministry and its partners advise employers to have flexible work arrangements and take measures to protect employees from the haze. These include identifying susceptible employees and minimising prolonged strenuous outdoor work.
SAF to adjust training, outdoor activities as haze worsens
Activities will be adjusted “accordingly” when the 24-hour PSI reading exceeds 100 to ensure that servicemen train and operate safely, the Ministry of Defence says.
Channel NewsAsia 15 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: With the haze hitting unhealthy levels, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will adjust outdoor activities and training to limit servicemen’s exposure, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Tuesday (Sep 15).
When the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading exceeds 100, activities will be adjusted “accordingly” to ensure that servicemen train and operate safely, the ministry said. Servicemen performing essential outdoor duties will be issued N95 masks when the 24-hour PSI reading exceeds the “Very Unhealthy” range, which is a reading between 201 and 300.
Activities will continue as normal when the reading is below 100.
MINDEF also said it has in place a set of PSI activity guidelines which are formulated for the SAF population and take into account servicemen’s medical fitness and the nature of activities.
"In spite of the PSI-activity guidelines, the SAF stands ready to safeguard Singapore's peace and security, and the SAF training has largely continued," it said.
The ministry also said that it is in close contact with the Indonesian authorities, and "stands ready to support and assist" Indonesia to combat the fires causing the haze.
Indonesia had earlier accepted the SAF’s offer to send C-130s for cloud seeding and Chinooks for large water buckets to douse fires, but later declined and said they had sufficient resources of their own.
- CNA/ss
Check ECDA site for haze guidelines for childcare centres, kindergartens: MSF
Centres should minimise outdoor activities, and avoid strenuous indoor physical exercises, when the 24-hour PSI is above 100, the Early Childhood Development Agency advises.
Channel NewsAsia 15 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: In light of the persistent levels of haze categorised as Unhealthy, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Tuesday (Sep 15) said childcare centres and kindergartens should refer to the Early Childhood Development Agency's advisories on its website, and check the National Environment Agency website to ensure the safety and well-being of children.
For PSI approaching “Unhealthy levels” (i.e. 24-hour PSI above 100):
Centres should minimise outdoor activities, and avoid strenuous indoor physical exercises. Children with asthma, respiratory, heart or lung problems should be exempted from physical exercises. Centres should monitor the health of all children. Should any child become unwell or develop respiratory problems, centres should inform the parents and seek immediate medical attention for the child. In the meantime, the child should stay in an air-conditioned room.
For PSI approaching “Very unhealthy levels” (i.e. 24-hour PSI above 200):
Centres should minimise outdoor activities, and modify indoor programmes to be less physically intensive. They should cancel indoor and outdoor physical exercises. Children should stay in enclosed indoor spaces, including air-conditioned spaces and classrooms with doors and windows closed, where possible. Centres are also advised to monitor the health of all children. Should any child become unwell or develop respiratory problems, centres should inform the parents and seek immediate medical attention for the child. In the meantime, the child should stay in an air-conditioned room.
For PSI approaching “Hazardous levels” (i.e. 24-hour PSI above 300):
Centres are advised to cancel all outdoor activities and indoor physical exercises. They should modify indoor programmes to be less physically intensive and provide more rest time. Children should stay in enclosed indoor spaces, including air-conditioned spaces and classrooms with doors and windows closed, where possible. Centres should monitor the health of all children. Should any child become unwell or develop respiratory problems, centres should inform the parents and seek immediate medical attention for the child. In the meantime, the child should stay in an air-conditioned room. ECDA will align centre closure with MOE’s decision for mainstream schools, if necessary
- CNA/xk
Suppliers see spike in demand for face masks due to haze
The National Environment Agency says hazy conditions are expected to persist for the next 24 hours.
Liyana Othman and Olivia Siong, Channel NewsAsia 16 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: Pharmacies and other mask suppliers have reported a spike in demand for face masks as hazy conditions persist.
Unity Pharmacy, for example, on Tuesday (Sep 15) said it has seen increased demand for N95 masks in the past week. Staff worked overnight from Monday evening to collect masks from suppliers and deliver them to all its 59 outlets.
The pharmacy is progressively stocking 800,000 pieces of masks at its outlets and monitors its stocks hourly, so that they can be replenished when needed.
Another supplier, US-based Vogmask, is experiencing a similar surge in orders of its N99 masks, which come in various sizes. It opened its Southeast Asian arm last year and in three days has sold the amount it previously needed eight months to move.
"The minute they come in, they have no chance to even touch the floor,” said director of Vogmask Southeast Asia Pamela Koh. “We are re-sorting and getting them all out into packages to our customers. We have to turn around very, very fast, because we are in the midst of the haze and everybody needs to wear the mask, and there is a sense of urgency."
Vogmask is a sponsor for the People's Movement to Stop Haze (PM Haze). The group started a campaign to encourage companies in Singapore to switch to using certified sustainable palm oil, which does not involve the burning of forests that results in haze.
Called "X the Haze", the ground-up initiative works with WWF Singapore and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Its outreach efforts include giving out 9,000 masks from 3M to the public.
"What we want to do is not only to give the mask, but to use that as a topic opener to share with them, ‘Why (don't) you also help to clean the air? Not just your own air, but the air for this region’,” said PM Haze's president, Tan Yi Han. “We want consumers here to make a stand, to show companies that we do want this kind of sustainable palm oil. So we also have this online platform, xthehaze.org, where consumers and ordinary people can show their demand for sustainable palm oil."
"X the Haze" aims to collect 50,000 pledges.
In an initiative to ensure that vulnerable groups are protected from the haze, the People’s Action Party (PAP) team which contested Aljunied GRC in the recent General Election distributed masks to residents, especially the underprivileged.
Mr Victor Lye, chairman of the Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Citizens' Consultative Committee, said: "Originally, we were going to do our thank you to our residents, but we noted the haze situation getting worse. In fact this morning, we found out it might be quite bad this evening.
"Thank goodness for the rain in the afternoon, but before the rains came, we felt that between saying thank you to people and doing what we believe in, we decided to do what we believe. So we decided to go to our own divisions and take care of the people."
The National Environment Agency said hazy conditions are expected to persist for the next 24 hours.
- CNA/ek
Govt lays out measures to tackle effects of haze
Audrey Tan and Linette Lai, Straits Times AsiaOne 16 sep 15;
The authorities are rolling out measures such as health subsidies and contingency plans for schools to mitigate the effects of the haze.
In the meantime, weather predictions held out hope that things could get better from Friday, when the wind pattern changes.
Until they do, however, those under 18 or over 65, as well as low- to middle-income earners, can get subsidised treatment at over 450 general practitioner clinics and polyclinics for haze-related ailments.
The reinstatement of the Haze Subsidy Scheme was among measures announced at a joint briefing yesterday by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and various ministries and statutory boards.
The People's Association will distribute 30,000 face masks to vulnerable households comprising seniors and residents with medical conditions who live alone.
The Manpower Ministry also laid out guidelines for employers regarding contingency plans.
And the Education Ministry outlined the steps it would take if the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) worsened, including closing schools if air quality reaches hazardous levels.
A ministry spokesman said that in the event of a school closure, national examinations would be rescheduled and exam periods possibly extended.
But the NEA had good news that wind direction could change on Friday. Until then, however, hazy conditions are expected to persist, owing to dry weather and south southwesterly winds blowing smoke haze from Sumatra.
In fact, conditions can still deteriorate if denser haze is blown in by unfavourable winds, the NEA said in a separate update on its website.
Today, the weather agency expects air quality to be in the mid to high sections of the unhealthy range, and warned it could even go up to the low section of the very unhealthy range.
Air quality is considered unhealthy when the 24-hour PSI reading is in the range of 101 to 200, and very unhealthy when 24-hour PSI readings are between 201 and 300.
When it crosses 300, air quality is deemed hazardous. Yesterday's rain brought a temporary respite, with the 24-hour PSI staying between 114 and 138 as of 8pm.
Assistant Professor Winston Chow of the National University of Singapore's geography department said the respite from rain would be very brief unless it rains over hot spots to help firefighting efforts in Indonesia.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters after the briefing that Singapore was working to identify those responsible for causing the haze, and would not hesitate to take action.
He said Singaporeans had to be psychologically prepared as the haze situation is unpredictable.
Firms take steps to protect employees
Samantha Boh, Priscilla Goy, Linette Lai and Seow Bei Yi, Straits Times AsiaOne 16 Sep 15;
Many organisations here have already taken steps, such as issuing masks or adjusting outdoor activities, to cope with the haze.
At 8pm yesterday, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was between 114 and 138, putting it in the unhealthy range.
SingPost issued N95 masks and eye drops to its delivery personnel; staff older than 65 or who have respiratory and heart conditions were redeployed to do indoor work.
Delivery firm food panda Singapore also issued masks and antiseptic wet tissues to its delivery drivers. "Riders have been advised to inform their manager immediately if they feel unwell, and are instructed to rest until their symptoms ease," said Ms Emma Heap, managing director of foodpanda Singapore.
Security firms such as Certis Cisco and Force-One Security have also taken steps to protect employees.
Apart from N95 masks, Certis Cisco also issues hourly PSI updates and advisories. "When the PSI reaches hazardous levels, outdoor patrols may be temporarily suspended," said its spokesman.
Meanwhile, Force-One Security has issued its "Haze Carepack", comprising masks, wet wipes, hand sanitiser sachets and brochures on how to wear a mask properly and howto keep healthy.
Malls under CapitaLand and Frasers Centrepoint closed all outdoor features such as playgrounds and cancelled all outdoor activities at their mall premises when the air quality turned unhealthy.
They have also stepped up checks on their air-conditioning filters to ensure they are running optimally.
"To maintain the air quality, we will also lock the automatic sliding doors and direct shoppers and tenants to use the manually operated side doors when the PSI readings exceed 150," added Mr Jason Loy, head of operations for Singapore at CapitaLand Mall Asia.
Those who are feeling unwell can also obtain haze kits comprising masks and water bottles from the customer service counters at CapitaLand malls.
Meanwhile, the Early Childhood Development Agency has issued an advisory to pre-schools.
It lists haze management measures including minimising outdoor activities, and modifying indoor programmes to be less physically intensive once the 24-hour PSI hits unhealthy levels of 101 to 200.
Over at NTUC's My First Skool, school principals have also been watching out for pupils who are unwell.
Portable air purifiers may also be deployed if needed. On Monday, a surge in traffic on the National Environment Agency's haze microsite caused it to crash for three hours.
There had been around 40,000 searches per second on the website before it crashed, about 40 to 50 times the number before the haze season started.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources said yesterday that it has since put in place new software to try and prevent further crashes.
However, the haze microsite was down again last night.
