Verbal Test Option for Singaporeans with Low Educational Qualifications Attending Mandatory Workplace Safety Courses

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of Singaporeans who attended mandatory workplace safety courses in the last year took verbal tests instead of written tests; and (b) whether the Ministry will allow workers to apply for the verbal test option themselves if they have low educational qualifications.

Written tests for mandatory workplace safety courses are available in eight languages, so that language proficiency is not an obstacle to safety training. Forty-eight locals, comprising 0.4% of those who attended mandatory workplace safety training in 2017 took verbal, rather than written tests. Workers who face difficulty in taking a written test can already apply to the Workplace Safety and Health Council for the verbal test option. There is no need for them to have first attempted a written test, before applying to be tested verbally.