Coffee Table Book

2016

As Singapore transitioned from third world country to first, the breakneck speed of development enveloped us all. Glittering skyscrapers replaced slums and squatters, and the move from an industrial-powered to a knowledge-driven workforce meant that the architecture of the nation would be reshaped as well. In keeping up with that change, the government saw itself contending with a multitude of challenges. 

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From battling silicosis in the 1960s to responding to the Nicoll Highway collapse in the early 2000s, the Department of Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) were embattled with OSH concerns. However, a combination of steadfast leadership, adept policy-making and a strong emphasis on saving lives enabled the department to implement OSH in all aspects of the workplace, so that every worker could go home to their families not just alive, but happy and healthy as well. 

 

Over a span of six months, I co-wrote the coffee table book that regaled 50 years of OSH—including its challenges and triumphs—in Singapore. The project entailed in-depth research, interviews and inter-agency collaboration that allowed us to thread a compelling narrative piece, casting a spotlight on the salient work of the department and how it contributed to the building of the city-state we know of today. 

 

Read it online here.