SAF and Home Team Take Steps to Mitigate UV Exposure Risks

We thank Mr Lee Yong Se for his letter “Include risk of UV exposure in training safety regulations for national service” (April 3).

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Home Team consider environmental risk factors, including heat and UV exposure, during training and operations. Measures, such as work-rest cycles to limit prolonged outdoor exposure, have been put in place for heat management, which also mitigate the risks of UV exposure.

The standard attire in the field for SAF and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) covers much of the body surface and minimises exposure. For certain vocations which require prolonged outdoor exposure (for example, Singapore Police Force (SPF)’s Police Coast Guard and Special Operations Command), officers are also equipped with long-sleeved operational uniforms and headgear to minimise UV exposure.

Additional UV protection measures are also taken where applicable. For example, sunscreen is provided for service personnel training overseas in locations with high UV index, such as Exercise Wallaby in Australia, and for SPF officers during training. Where practicable, SAF and SPF personnel also don protective headgear and sunglasses for field training and operations, and during their duties, if required.

The safety and health of our service personnel remain of utmost importance to the SAF and the Home Team. We will take in the feedback and review our safety regulations as needed to ensure strong safety and health outcomes, while maintaining operational readiness to safeguard Singapore and to protect Singaporeans.