Section 9 — Management of SAF Activities During Haze Conditions

AIM

1. This section lays down the information on SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines and unit’s responsibility when conducting training or operations during haze condition.

INTRODUCTION

2. Singapore uses a 24-hours Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) index system (implemented on 1 Apr 14) based on continuous measurements of six key air pollutants in the air (PM_2.5¹, PM₁₀², ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide). A 1-hr PM_2.5³ concentration reading was added on 27 Jun 16 to provide a more indicative appreciation of the current air quality during haze periods. On 13 Jul 20, NEA promulgated the personal guide to help individual decide on their immediate outdoor activities during the haze season. As the 1-hour PM_2.5 concentration reading can be volatile and tends to fluctuate over the day, the SAF will continue to adhere to the national health guidelines based on the 24-hour PSI⁴.

3. The excessive presence of haze in the atmosphere is of concern to the SAF as it may affect training and operational safety. In addition, the haze may also lead to increased incidence of health-related problems amongst our people over time.

POLLUTANT STANDARDS INDEX (PSI)

4. In Singapore, the 24-hour PSI index system is based on continuous measurements of 6 key air pollutants in the air (PM2.5, PM10, Ozone, Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide). The index is based on average values taken over a 24-hour period in accordance with the USEPA guidelines. The index is not a composite index and is based on the pollutant that has the highest concentration over a 24-hour period. PM2.5 is the dominant pollutant during haze episodes.

5. The PSI value gives an indication of the air quality as shown in Table 6-9-1.

Table 6-9-1: Classification of PSI level by NEA.

24-hour PSI Level	Classification
0 - 50	Good
51 - 100	Moderate
101 - 200	Unhealthy
201 - 300	Very Unhealthy
> 300	Hazardous

6. The 1-hour PM_2.5 concentrations reflect the average concentration of fine particulate matter over one hour, and is a key indicator of current air quality, especially during periods of transboundary haze. The PM_2.5 concentration level indicates the current air quality as shown in Table 6-9-2.

Table 6-9-2: Classification of PM_2.5 Concentration Levels by NEA.

1-hour PM2.5 Concentration Level	Classification
0 – 55 µg/m3	Normal
56 – 150 µg/m3	Elevated
151 – 250 µg/m3	High
≥ 251 µg/m3	Very High

EFFECTS OF HAZE

7. Exposure to haze may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat in healthy individuals. Such irritation resolves on its own in most cases.

8. Haze may affect the heart and lungs, especially in people who already have chronic heart or lung disease e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure. There may be a lag of up to 1-3 days between exposure to haze and the resultant health effects/symptoms.

MANAGEMENT OF SAF TRAINING DURING HAZE CONDITIONS

9. Principal Considerations. The following principal considerations are used in formulating the SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines:

   1. Maintain Operational Readiness and Training. Measures to ensure the health and safety of SAF Service Personnel should be balanced with the operational readiness and training of the SAF.

   2. Ensure Force Protection. Adequate force protection must be put in place for personnel during training and performing essential duties.

   3. Alignment with National Guidelines. The measure should be aligned with the advisories published by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE). This will ensure that the SAF’s measures are consistent with the national guidelines.

10. SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines. The SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines will be used to guide the daily activities for SAF personnel according to the different 24-hour PSI levels. The SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines is based on the MOH national health advisory matrix.

Table 6-9-3: SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines.

24H- PSI Level	SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines
	SAF General Population	SAF Susceptible Population
0 – 100 “Good/Moderate”	Normal Activities	Normal Activities
101-200 “Unhealthy”	Reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activities.	Avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activities5.
201-300 “Very Unhealthy”	Avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activities.	Avoid outdoor activities. Don PPE(N95) when performing essential outdoor duties.
Above 300 “Hazardous”	Minimise outdoor activities. Don PPE(N95) when performing essential outdoor duties.

1. The SAF susceptible population are to be reassigned to indoor duties when the 24-hour PSI is above 100.

2. When the 24-hour PSI is from 201 to 300, physical fitness tests must be conducted in air-conditioned facilities. SAF general population are to avoid prolonged essential outdoor duties.

3. When 24-hour PSI is above 300, all physical activities are to be avoided.

11. Prolonged and strenuous activities are defined as follows⁶:

    1. Prolonged Activity. Activity with duration of three hours or more will be considered as prolonged.

    2. Strenuous Activity. See Annex A for the list of common SAF physical activities defined as strenuous activities.

12. Reduce, minimise and avoid are defined as follows⁷:

    1. Reduce means to do less. In the SAF context, this translates into moderation of the intensity or duration of the activity, or to increase the rest intervals or time taken to complete the activity.

    2. Minimise means to do as little as possible.

    3. Avoid means do not do.

13. SAF Susceptible Population. Susceptible personnel are defined as personnel graded PES B4 and below for asthma, heart or other lung diseases⁸.

14. N95 Masks. N95 masks should be used in accordance with SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines in Table 6-9-3. N95 masks are not required indoors or for short exposure such as commuting from home to work. Wearing of N95 mask should not be used as the justification to continue with outdoor physical activities except for those performing essential outdoor duties as the use of N95 masks increases the effort in breathing and may also cause tiredness and headache.

15. Pregnant Women⁹. They should adhere to the MOH Health Advisory and minimise outdoor activities at PSI levels more than 200. If they have to be outdoors for several hours when PSI is more than 200, they may reduce exposure by wearing a N95 mask. Pregnant women should stop using a N95 mask if they feel uncomfortable.

16. Additional Mitigation Measures.

    1. The AEG may make executive decision to impose additional measures to safeguard our Service Personnel should the 1-hour PM2.5 readings suddenly spike beyond the ‘High’ band (>151 µg/m³). Additional precautionary measures will be issued through GSOC.

    2. The limit as to the types of outdoor activities allowed each day when the 24-hour PSI level is at the ‘unhealthy’ range and above are:

       1. One prolonged and one strenuous outdoor physical activities; or

       2. Two prolonged activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNIT COMMANDERS DURING HAZE CONDITIONS

17. During the haze condition, Unit commanders are to be aware of the 24-hour PSI readings and 1-hour PM_2.5 concentration levels prior to the commencement of any outdoor activity or physical training. Training should be carried out in accordance with the SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines.

18. Interpretation of the 1-hr PM_2.5 concentration reading. Among healthy individuals, exposure to high levels of haze particles may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat in healthy individuals. Such irritation resolves on its own in most cases. However, haze particles can affect the susceptible population more. Each individual’s reactions to pollutants may also vary, and the amount of physical activity or exertion one can perform differs according to your health status or physical capacity. As such, individuals should monitor their own status and report sick if they feel unwell.

19. Unit commanders should pay attention to their Service Personnel, especially the SAF susceptible population, for signs and symptoms such as breathlessness, fainting spells and severe skin or eye irritation and consider whether the affected Service Personnel should stop training and receive medical attention. Unit commanders are to emphasise the importance of having indoor breaks and adequate hydration during conduct of training.

20. A risk assessment should be conducted for training as per current training instructions. Weather changes, ground situation, Service Personnel’s condition and staff advice should be taken into account before the cessation or modification of training activities. The 1-hour PM_2.5 concentration levels should be used as one of many factors for consideration during the risk assessment. The Supervising Officer or Officer Commanding (or equivalent), whoever is higher in rank, will make the decision whether to proceed, delay and/or cancel/postpone an activity based on the PM_2.5 reading.

Figure 6-9-1: Flowchart for SAF Activity during Haze Periods.

21. Individual Responsibility. Service Personnel must exercise their own individual responsibility. If they are feeling unwell, they should stop current activity and seek medical advice at the nearest medical centre. In addition, under the buddy system, Service Personnel should look out for their buddy for signs and symptoms of being affected by the haze and notify their commanders on the ground.

MANAGEMENT OF OVERSEAS TRAINING

22. Overseas Training Centres (OTCs) and Service Personnel on overseas training/operations, affected by the haze are to adopt similar guidelines as the SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines in relation to the country’s PSI readings¹⁰ (e.g. AQI). Responsibilities of Unit Commanders remain the same for both local and overseas training.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED DURING REDUCED VISIBILITY

23. Besides applying the SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines, Ground commanders will assess the situation and use their discretion to defer field training during reduced visibility. These may include the deferment of field live firing exercises and ranges if targets cannot be clearly observed.

BROADCASTING OF PSI READINGS AND SAF PSI-ACTIVITY GUIDELINES

24. Daily Broadcasting Websites. At the national level, the daily broadcasting of haze information can be accessed via the National Environment Agency application (myENV) and the following websites:

    1. Daily PSI reading may be accessed via the NEA website (https://www.nea.gov.sg).

    2. The government haze website https://www.haze.gov.sg.

25. GSOC will broadcast the 24-hour PSI readings according to the different sectors when approaching ‘unhealthy level’ as shown in Annex B. Samples of the SMSes will be as follow:

“GSOC-FYI(PSI): 24-hour PSI Readings CAA DTG:

Moderate (51-100): N(98), S(97), C(95) – Normal Activities

Unhealthy (101-200): E(103), W(105) – (General Population) Reduce prolonged/strenuous outdoor physical activities. (Susceptible Population)

Avoid Outdoor Activities.

Pls refer to Ops Instr 02/23 for detailed measures”

26. FAQs. MOH FAQs on haze can be found at https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/educational-resources/haze/faqs-on-haze-health-advisory

FEEDBACK CHANNEL

27. Service Personnel who have concerns, questions or feedbacks relating to the haze situation can call the Army Safety Hotline, at 9-SAFETY-1 or 97233891 which will be manned round the clock.

Annexes:

1. List of Common SAF Physical Activities defined as Strenuous Activities.

2. Sectorisation of PSI Readings for Army Training.

ANNEX A TO

SECTION 9 TO

CHAPTER 6

DATED 29 SEP 23

LIST OF COMMON SAF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES DEFINED AS STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES

1. Strenuous activity. Physical activities can be quantified as a multiple of Metabolic Equivalents of Task (MET). The activity level of 1 Metabolic Equivalents of Task (MET) is the rate at which energy is consumed by the human body at rest. In the context of the SAF, activity which exceeds the level of 6.0 MET is defined as strenuous activity.

2. The list of common SAF physical activities defined as strenuous activities can be found in Table 6-9A-1. The list of activities is not exhaustive and field / physical training where the physical exertion is assessed to be equal to or more than these activities should also be considered as strenuous. Decisions are to be made based on the following considerations: (a) Comd’s risk assessment; (b) with reference to Authorised Operating Materials (AOMs) such as lesson plans; and (c) SAF PSI-Activity Guidelines based on 24-hour PSI readings.

Table 6-9A-1: List of Common SAF Physical Activities Defined as Strenuous Activities.

S/N	Activities
1.	IPPT Test / Trial Test
2.	Selection Tests for Confidence Courses (Jungle Confidence Course, Ranger Selection Course, Basic Airborne Course, Special Forces Selection Course)
3.	Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) Test / Trial Test
4.	Vocational Obstacle Course (VOC) Test / Trial Test
5.	Circuit / Interval / IPPT / SOC / VOC Training
6.	Marches (Full Battle Order/ Fast March)
7.	Endurance Run > 5km
8.	Digging Shell-scrape / Foxhole
9.	Helicopter Mock Up / Tower Rappelling
10.	Mission Exercises [Climbing Hills, Fast March to objective, Fire and movement, Urban Operations (UO)]
11.	Fire Fighting / Damage Control Training or assessment
12.	Swimming Proficiency / Diving Fitness / Selection Training
13.	Swimming Proficiency / Diving Fitness / Selection Test

3. The measures to reduce strenuous activities are shown in the table below. The list is not exhaustive and commanders may take additional measures to reduce these activities. These measures only apply when PSI is in the ‘unhealthy’ range i.e. 101 to 200. All outdoor physical activities are to be avoided when PSI is above 200.

Table 6-9A-2: Measures to Reduce Strenuous Activities.

S/N	Description of Physical Activities	Measures to Reduce Strenuous Activities
Catering 50% More Rest/Time
1.	IPPT Test / Trial Test	To cater 50% more rest in between static stations and prior to 2.4km run.
2.	Selection Tests for Confidence Courses (Jungle Confidence Course, Ranger Selection Course, Basic Airborne Course, Special Forces Selection Course)	To cater 50% more rest in between all stations including runs
3.	Digging Shell-scrape / Foxhole	To cater 50% more time to complete the task
Reduce Intensity of Training
4.	Circuit / Interval / IPPT / SOC / VOC Training	To reduce the training intensity by 50%
5.	Swimming Proficiency / Diving Fitness / Selection Test	To reduce the training intensity by 50%
6.	Helicopter Mock Up/Tower Rappelling	To reduce the training intensity by 50%
7.	Fire Fighting / Damage Control Training or Assessment	To reduce the training intensity by 50%
8.	Mission Exercises [Climbing Hills, Fast March to objective, Fire and movement, Urban Operations (UO)]	Marches up to 8km
9.	Marches (Full Battle Order/Fast March	Marches up to 8km
10.	Endurance Run > 5km	Runs up to 5km
No Change
11.	Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) Test / Trial Test	To continue with the test
12.	Vocational Obstacle Course (VOC) Test / Trial Test	To continue with the test
13.	Swimming Proficiency / Diving Fitness / Selection Test	To continue with the test

ANNEX B TO

SECTION 9 TO

CHAPTER 6

DATED 29 SEP 23

SECTORISATION OF PSI READINGS FOR ARMY TRAINING

SECTOR	CAMPS	SAF TRAINING PLOTS11 / MANOEUVRE AREA	NON-SAF TRAINING PLOTS12 / MANOEUVRE AREA12
North	Amoy Quee, Dieppe Barrack, Khatib, Mandai 2, Mandai Hill, Mandai West, Nee Soon Complex, Sembawang Air Base, Sembawang	TP5, TP5W, TP6, TP6W, TP7, TP7W, TP11, MA 13, MA 2	Kranji War Memorial, Sembawang Park, Seng Kang Riverside
South			Marina Barrage, Garden by the Bay, Labrador Nature Park
East	Bedok, Hendon, Kaki Bukit, Ladang (BMTC), Pasir Ris, Paya Lebar Air Base, Rocky Hill, Selarang, Seletar	TP9 (P. Tekong), TP14,	Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park, Punggol Waterway, Bedok Reservoir Park
West	Gombak Complex, Hillview, Clementi, Jurong Complex, Keat Hong, Kranji Complex, Maju, Mowbray, Pasir Laba, SAFTI MI, Stagmont, Sungei Gedong	SAFTI LIVE FIRING AREA, TP1, TP2, TP2E, TP3, TP4,TP8, TP12, TP16, MA 3	Jurong Lake Park, West Coast Park, Pang Sua Park Connector
Central	Rifle Range Road	MA8	MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Bishan Park