No. S 19
Factories Act
(Chapter 104)
Factories (Medical Examinations) (Amendment) Regulations 1997
In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 69 and 102 of the Factories Act, the Minister for Labour hereby makes the following Regulations:
Citation and commencement
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Factories (Medical Examinations) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 and shall come into operation on 1st February 1997.
Amendment of regulation 2
2.  Regulation 2(1)(b) of the Factories (Medical Examinations) Regulations (Rg 6) (referred to in these Regulations as the principal Regulations) is amended by deleting the words “organophosphates or vinyl chloride” and substituting the words “perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, organophosphates or vinyl chloride monomer”.
Amendment of regulation 3
3.  The principal Regulations are amended by renumbering regulation 3 as paragraph (1) of that regulation, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:
“(2)  For the purposes of these Regulations, any reference to the health of a person shall, where that person is pregnant, include the health of the unborn child which that person is carrying.”.
Amendment of regulation 4
4.  Regulation 4(1) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “3 days” in the seventh line and substituting the words “30 days”.
Amendment of regulation 5
5.  The principal Regulations are amended by renumbering regulation 5 as paragraph (1) of that regulation, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:
“(2)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Chief Inspector may, in cases where he considers expedient, require any person to be examined at intervals different from those specified in Part II of the First Schedule.”.
Amendment of regulation 6
6.  The principal Regulations are amended by renumbering regulation 6 as paragraph (1) of that regulation, and by inserting immediately thereafter the following paragraph:
“(2)  The audiometric examinations under these Regulations shall be carried out by persons who have undergone a course of training in audiometric screening approved by the Chief Inspector.”.
Amendment of First Schedule
7.  The First Schedule to the principal Regulations is deleted and the following Schedule substituted therefor:
“FIRST SCHEDULE
Regulation 4(3)
Part I
Nature of occupation
Medical examinations and investigations to determine fitness for employment in the occupation
1.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of —
 
(a)arsenic or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning, skin cancer and lung cancer
 
(ii)A full size chest x-ray examination
 
(iii)Urine arsenic examination
 
(iv)Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase estimations
(b)cadmium or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of cadmium poisoning
 
(ii)Blood cadmium estimation
 
(iii)Urine Beta2‑microglobulin estimation
(c)lead or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of lead poisoning
 
(ii)For inorganic lead exposure, haemoglobin and blood lead estimation
 
(iii)For organic lead exposure, urine lead estimation
(d)manganese or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of manganese poisoning
 
(ii)Urine manganese estimation
(e)mercury or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning
 
(ii)Urine mercury estimation
2.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the fumes or vapour of —
 
(a)benzene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of benzene poisoning
 
(ii)Urine phenol estimation
 
(iii)Haemoglobin estimation and full blood count
 
(iv)Peripheral blood film
(b)perchloroethylene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of perchloroethylene poisoning
 
(ii)Urine trichloroacetic acid estimation
 
(iii)Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase estimations
(c)trichloroethylene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of trichloroethylene poisoning
 
(ii)Urine trichloroacetic acid estimation
 
(iii)Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase estimations
(d)organophosphates
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of organophosphate poisoning
 
(ii)Red blood cell acetylcholinesterase estimation
(e)vinyl chloride monomer
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of vinyl chloride effects
 
(ii)Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase estimations
3.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to tar, pitch, bitumen or creosote
A clinical examination of the skin and lungs
4.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the dust of —
 
(a)asbestos
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma
 
(ii)A full size chest x-ray examination
(b)raw cotton
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of byssinosis (cotton dust disease)
 
(ii)Lung function tests (FEV1 and FVC) before and after 6 hours of exposure to cotton dust on the same day
(c)silica
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of silicosis and tuberculosis
 
(ii)A full size chest x-ray examination
5.Occupations involving exposure to excessive noise
An audiometric examination (where the air conduction is abnormal, to include bone conduction testing and auroscopic examination)
6.Occupations involving work in a compressed air environment
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of compressed air illness and fitness for work in a compressed air environment
 
(ii)Height, weight and body fat estimation
 
(iii)An audiometric examination (where the air conduction is abnormal, to include bone conduction testing and auroscopic examination)
 
(iv)Test in a lock
 
(v)Full size chest x-ray
 
(vi)Radiographic examination of shoulder, hip and knee joints
 
(vii)Electrocardiogram for workers who are 35 years of age and over
 
(viii)Lung function tests (FEV1 and FVC)
Part II
Regulation 5
Nature of occupation
Periodic medical examinations and investigations
Frequency of periodic examinations and investigations
1.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the fumes, dust or vapour of —
 
 
(a)arsenic or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning, skin cancer and lung cancer
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine arsenic estimation
Once in every 12 months.
(b)cadmium or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of cadmium poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Blood cadmium estimation
Once in every 12 months.
 
(iii)Urine Beta2‑microglobulin estimation
Once in every 12 months.
(c)lead or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of lead poisoning
Once in every 6 months.
 
(ii)For inorganic lead exposure, haemoglobin and blood lead estimation
Once in every 6 months.
 
(iii)For organic lead exposure, urine lead estimation
Once in every 6 months.
(d)manganese or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of manganese poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine manganese estimation
Once in every 12 months.
(e)mercury or any of its compounds
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine mercury estimation
Once in every 12 months.
2.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the fumes or vapour of —
 
 
(a)benzene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of benzene poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine phenol estimation
Once in every 12 months.
 
(iii)Haemoglobin estimation and full blood count
Once in every 12 months.
 
(iv)Peripheral blood film
Once in every 12 months.
(b)perchloroethylene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of perchloroethylene poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine trichloroacetic acid estimation
Once in every 12 months.
(c)trichloroethylene
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of trichloroethylene poisoning
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Urine trichloroacetic acid estimation
Once in every 12 months.
(d)organophosphates
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of organophosphate poisoning
Once in every 6 months.
 
(ii)Red blood cell acetycholinesterase estimation
Once in every 6 months.
(e)vinyl chloride monomer
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of vinyl chloride effects
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Liver function tests including serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase estimations
Once in every 12 months.
3.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to tar, pitch, bitumen or creosote
A clinical examination of the skin and lungs
Once in every 12 months.
4.Occupations involving the use or handling of or exposure to the dust of —
 
 
(a)asbestos
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma
Once in every 36 months.
 
(ii)A full size chest x-ray examination
Once in every 36 months.
(b)raw cotton
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of byssinosis (cotton dust disease)
Once in every 12 months.
 
(ii)Lung function tests (FEV1 and FVC) before and after 6 hours of exposure to cotton dust on the same day
Once in every 12 months.
(c)silica
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of silicosis and tuberculosis
Once in every 36 months.
 
(ii)A full size chest x-ray examination
Once in every 36 months.
5.Occupations involving exposure to excessive noise
An audiometric examination (where the air conduction is abnormal, to include bone conduction testing and auroscopic examination)
Once in every 12 months.
6.Occupations involving work in a compressed air environment
(i)A clinical examination for signs and symptoms of compressed air illness and fitness for work in a compressed air environment
(a)Not less than once in every 3 months for working pressures not exceeding one bar
 
 
(b)Not less than once in every 4 weeks for working pressures at or exceeding one bar
 
 
(c)Not more than 3 days prior to re-employment in a compressed air environment —
 
 
(i)after a worker has not been employed in a compressed air environment for more than 14 consecutive days
 
 
(ii)after a worker has suffered from a cold, chest infection, sore throat or earache
 
 
(iii)after a worker has suffered from any illness or injury necessitating absence from work for more than 3 consecutive days.
 
(ii)Radiographic examination of shoulder, hip and knee joints (for working pressures at or exceeding 1 bar)
Once in every 12 months or just before stopping work, whichever is earlier.
 
(iii)Electrocardiogram (for working pressures at or exceeding 1 bar)
Not less than once in every 12 months for workers who are 35 years of age and over.
 
(iv)An audiometric examination (where the air conduction is abnormal, to include bone conduction testing and auroscopic examination)
Once in every 12 months.
 
(v)Lung function tests (FEV1 and FVC)
Once in every 12 months.
”.
Made this 16th day of January 1997.
MOSES LEE KIM POO
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Labour,
Singapore.
[MLA 25/73; AG/SL/9/94 Vol. 2]
(To be presented to Parliament under section 102(3) of the Factories Act).
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