Singapore Manufacturers' Federation Kick Starts 2011 By Spurring The Manufacturing Sector To Lead A Healthy Lifestyle

Singapore, 13 January 2011: The Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa) will be the first trade association to partner the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to engage employers and employees in the manufacturing sector to attain and maintain good health.

2. Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, will witness a pledge by 100 chief executive officers, who are members of the SMa, to implement sustainable workplace health promotion programmes for their collective workforce of 11,500. Joining the ceremony will be 600 employees.

3. This collaboration and pledge by SMa and the CEOs of their members will also be a significant milestone in the outreach to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as the majority of SMa members fall into this category. SMEs employ 60% of Singapore’s workforce.

4. This pledge also answers the recent recommendations from the National Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health which had identified enhancing WHP outreach to SMEs as a key focus area for improving workplace health.

5. Companies with sustained workplace health promotion programmes have seen improvements in their employees’ health and productivity and are better placed to manage healthcare costs.

6 “A successful workplace health promotion programme requires a close partnership between employers and employees. We are especially glad to partner the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation with its workforce of over 200,000 . It is a critical partner in promoting sustainable workplace health promotion programmes amongst its SME members. HPB will provide resources such as the WHP Grant, capacity training and easy-to-implement health programmes, such as HealthWORKs. We look forward to working with SMa and its SME members,” said Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive Officer, Health Promotion Board.

7. “SMa is honoured to partner Health Promotion Board to promote workplace health. SMa will encourage our members to take advantage of SMa’s partnership with HPB to implement workplace health promotion programmes through the Workplace Health Promotion grant and to strive for the bi-yearly Singapore HEALTH Award as a check of our members Workplace Health achievements. We hope that this is the start of a healthier lifestyle not only just at work but those involved will spread the healthy lifestyle message to their friends and family members too,” said Mr Gwee Seng Kwong, Secretary-General, Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation.

Workplace Health Promotion Programmes for SMa

8. With this partnership, SMa members can look forward to tailored workplace health support for the manufacturing sector. This includes briefings and best practice sharing sessions, customised training courses, particularly on capacity building of knowledge and skills in the planning and implementation of workplace health programmes for their workplace health coordinators. These will be co-organised by SMa and HPB, and facilitated by SMa’s Centre for Corporate Learning.

9. Employees from SMa member-companies can look forward to health screenings, regular running and briskwalking, smoking cessation talks and training on how to implement a workplace smoking control programme and other healthy lifestyle programmes jointly organised by SMa and HPB.

10. To continually highlight the importance of workplace health, SMa will also be promoting the importance of workplace health promotion to all its members through communication channels such as bi-monthly newsletters and news bulletins.

11. To facilitate the implementation of workplace health programmes, SMa members can apply for the HPB WHP Grant. SMEs can apply for HPB’s WHP Grant for them to fund up to 90% of their WHP programmes. SMEs can also consider HealthWORKs, a comprehensive, off-the-shelf WHP package that is designed to free SMEs from the administrative and logistical hassle of sourcing and coordinating health activities. Please refer to Annexe 1 for more details.

Annexe 1: Fact Sheet: WHP Strategies to reach out to SMEs

Issued by Health Promotion Board