Opening Speech by Mr Raj Joshua Thomas at the SIFMA WSH Forum for FM Industry 2026

26 Jan 2026 Speeches

Opening Speech by Mr Raj Joshua Thomas,
Chairman, WSH Council (Facilities Management) Committee at the 
SIFMA WSH Forum for Facilities Management Industry 2026 on
Monday, 26 January 2026, 2.00pm

Mr Frank Ngoh, President, Singapore International Facility Management Association,
Dr Faris Akbar Hajamaideen, Senior Director, Singapore Polytechnic,
Mr Bernard Lew, President, Singapore Institution of Safety Officers, 
Mr Benedict Koh, President, Fire Safety Managers’ Association Singapore,
Industry partners,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Introduction

  1. Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to be here once again at SIFMA’s WSH Forum for Facilities Management Industry. I am glad to see familiar faces here today, and hope everyone is having a good start to the new year. 

  2. This is SIFMA’s second run of the WSH Forum in collaboration with the Workplace Safety and Health Council. We are also pleased that Singapore Polytechnic has joined us as a co-organiser as well. I hope this Forum continues to be a meaningful platform for discussing key WSH issues affecting the FM sector and importantly, for us to together to find solutions to our challenges.

    WSH Performance for FM Industry
  3. Let me begin by sharing some updates on the WSH performance in the FM industry. I am heartened that fatalities have been on a steady decline over the past few years – from five in 2022, two in 2023, to one in 2024. This is encouraging progress, and a record that we must maintain.

  4. However, major injuries remain a concern. There were 48 major injuries in 2024, a 10% increase from 43 cases in 2023. While WSH statistics are not available for 2025 until March, non-fatal injuries remain a concern for us. 

  5. We must therefore step up vigilance and work towards reducing not only fatal, but also non-fatal injuries. Strong WSH culture and consistent implementation of safe practices on the ground remain essential. 

  6. Addressing key WSH focus areas also means leveraging technology to enhance safety standards across different FM subsectors. Technology can help us overcome manpower constraints and augment workers’ sensing and judgement in identifying and preventing risks. 

    WSH Technology in the FM industry
  7. At last year’s WSH Forum, I spoke about the broader implications of technology adoption. Technology is reshaping how facilities are operated and maintained. We are seeing increased use of building management systems, robotics and even artificial intelligence (AI) to support our FM workforce. 

  8. Technology is also opening doors to occupational health improvements that are already becoming common in workplaces. For example:
    • Cleaning robots reduces workers’ exposure to chemicals and lower the risk of overexertion.
    • Wearables such as smart watches offers features such as heart-rate tracking, enabling early alerts that could potentially prevent health incidents from becoming more serious. Some devices even integrate Global Positioning Systems or GPS and movement trackers, providing valuable insights into worker behaviour.
    • Big data and AI can help predict hotspots and potential health-related workplace incidents before they occur.

  9. Today, the WSH Institute and AI System Integrator Asia will share more about technology that can improve WSH outcomes in FM. I hope their sharing later will spark ideas about new tools or workflows that can make your workplaces safer.

    Healthier Workforce in FM
  10. Even as technology enhances building and facilities operations, our people and their health remain central to achieving better safety and productivity outcomes.

  11. Sectors like cleaning and private security have a sizable mature workforce, making age-friendly initiatives vital. As digitalisation and automation progress, it is even more important to ensure that senior workers can interface with and use technology safely.

  12. The presentations by Singapore Lens Technology and ISS Facility Services on vision care and supporting our senior workforce will address some of these needs. I encourage all of you to adopt such solutions in your workplaces.

    Efforts of the WSH (Facilities Management) Committee
  13. The WSH Council (Facilities Management) Committee that I chair, continues to play a key role in raising WSH awareness, building capabilities and promoting good industry practices.

  14. Last year, we co-created WSH resources with industry trade associations to highlight common, yet unique, risks within different FM sectors. I am happy to share that these digital posters are now available for free download on the WSH Council’s website. I hope you will use them to support existing safety briefings and remind your workers to stay alert to hazards in their daily work.

  15. This year, we will develop WSH guidelines targeted at sub-sectors to address risks arising from specific work activities:
    • On the technology front, we will facilitate knowledge exchange of best practices to accelerate the adoption of promising technology and research.
    • We will also continue supporting WSH initiatives from tripartite partners and the industry so that we can work better together to address WSH concerns. If your sector is championing new WSH efforts, do reach out to us, we are keen to explore how we can support you.

    Closing
  16. I hope today’s presentations inspire you to adopt good practices in your organisations. Let us take away important and meaningful insights from this Forum and continue working towards a safer and healthier FM industry. I wish you a fruitful Forum ahead. Thank you.