S'poreans confident of beating crisis; firms taken by surprise

SINGAPORE - Eight in 10 Singaporeans are confident the country will get through the current haze situation, and two-thirds know how to keep themselves safe depending on the 24-hour pollution levels, says a survey by the national feedback unit Reach.

Reach chairman Amy Khor said the poll, conducted over the phone with 939 randomly selected Singaporeans from last Friday to Wednesday, captured people's anxiety over the haze's impact on their health and well-being, with most saying they were moderately or extremely concerned.

"But at the same time, it also clearly reflects the resilience of Singaporeans," Dr Khor said.

"This is an encouraging indication of our society's ability to persevere amid difficult situations and close ranks to tackle major challenges."

Three-quarters of the interviewees also said they turned to the mainstream media for their haze-related information, while slightly less than half checked the National Environment Agency (NEA) website or social media platforms.

This year's haze has been the country's worst in history, with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) soaring to a three-hour hazardous high of 401 last Friday. But while Singaporeans knew how to cope, another survey found that many firms were caught flat- footed by the extent of the crisis.

Employers were scrambling to find masks for staff and to come up with alternative work arrangements, according to the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

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It conducted an informal poll among members and found that less than half of the 231 businesses that responded had been fully prepared for the challenges thrown up by the haze, said SBF chief operating officer Victor Tay.

Around a third of them faced increased absenteeism, he added.

"One group had no issues, because they had stocked up on masks as part of their business continuity plans and had corporate policies to handle the situation, while the other respondents are only starting to develop policies to handle the health challenges caused by haze," he said.

Those who were prepared had also made plans to move certain outdoor work activities indoors, while others were quick to split up their employees so that they could take turns to work from home, he added.

The SBF is now preparing a handbook that includes case studies of how companies handled the haze situation well, Mr Tay said.

These include Network Express Courier Service, which equipped its dispatch riders with masks and eye drops, and sent them regular text messages to remind them to take breaks. Other companies said that although the haze has abated, they are still putting in place contingency measures.

Developer Hong Leong has stocked N95 masks that will be handed out if necessary when it launches its One Balmoral project at Cuscaden Road tomorrow.

SMRT and Singapore Power have action plans that detail what employees in various roles should do if the PSI reaches certain levels.

zengkun@sph.com.sg

yasminey@sph.com.sg