Maids banned from cleaning window exteriors
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SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry has ruled that with immediate effect, employers shall not allow their foreign domestic workers to clean the exterior of windows unless two safety conditions are met.
Firstly, the employer or an adult is physically present to supervise the maid.
And, secondly, window grilles must be installed and locked at all times during the cleaning process.
MOM said the new rules will apply to all homes, except for windows that are at ground level or along common corridors.
It emphasised that anyone who cleans the exterior of their windows at home should follow similar safety requirements.
The ministry explained that many foreign domestic workers do not come from high-rise environments and may not be used to Singapore's urban living environment.
They are therefore likely to be unaware of the risks in a high-rise domestic setting.
Apart from window cleaning, employers should take necessary steps to eliminate the risks involved in other tasks by following the Dos and Don'ts covered in MOM's guidebooks and pamphlets.
If foreign domestic workers are required to hang laundry outside the window using bamboo poles, employers should ensure that they do not stand on an elevated platform or tip-toe while handling the poles, and do not overload the pole with too many clothes.
MOM said it will be sending a circular to all existing foreign maid employers to inform them of the tightened safety requirements.
The ministry will also be updating its training materials for first-time maids and their employers.
MOM warned that failure to comply with these tightened requirements constitutes a breach of the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations.
Employers who fail to comply may be prosecuted and permanently barred from hiring a foreign domestic worker.
For added deterrence, MOM also plans to raise the penalty for employers prosecuted for failing to provide foreign domestic workers with a safe working environment.
MOM said it intends to double the penalties from the current S$5,000 fine and/or six months' jail to S$10,000 fine and/or 12 months' jail. This is part of the ongoing review of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and its subsidiary legislation later this year, said MOM.
The ministry said it is deeply concerned with the recent spate of fatalities involving foreign domestic workers.
Since January this year, there have been nine work-related fall from heights fatalities, compared to four cases for the whole of 2011 and eight in 2010.
The ministry's investigations show that five of the nine fatalities were related to foreign donestic workers cleaning windows in an unsafe manner.
Two arose from hanging laundry, while the causes of the last two are pending further investigation.
The ministry said this tragic and unnecessary loss of lives could have been prevented if foreign domestic workers and their employers took safe work practices seriously.
- CNA/ck -
how about sir and mum ownself clean
but leticia must be there to supervise?
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k.....扣钱 lor...
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We say this is tragic as lives could have been saved if foreign domestic workers were protected earlier, as called for.
But the government was optimistic, and waited to see if the FDWs would stop falling down.
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why not go to the root of the problem
like, the quality of maids, proper training before they come.
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can also test IQ a bit
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must oso take SAT, GMAT?
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Master of Maids Administration (MMA) from Nasional Unibersity of Singakorean..
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shun bian TOEFL and GP
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and must be able to do P6 maths.
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But still will have aunties don't know law one.
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Educational Instituition... HUAT AH
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Curious to know...
Why Mum or Sir clean, but neber fall down?
Why Leticia clean will fall down?
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Sent them for....
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this is so damn stupid
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Originally posted by StriveOn:
Curious to know...
Why Mum or Sir clean, but neber fall down?
Why Leticia clean will fall down?
Leticia shorty, stand on stool and lean outside somemore.
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this is a good step to protect these people from accidents. it may sound a little weird at first but I think that it's not pointless at least.
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Isn't it funny to actually have such laws?
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min. height and weight for leticias
must go thru audition by completing triathlon to make sure bery fit.
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Individual Physical Proficiency Test for maids.
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Just the begining of the month of June, is it true this year, in the first five months, 10 maids have already fallen to their deaths?
10, not counting all those in the previous years.
Correction: 9 fell to their death. the last one not counted.