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Singapore Heart Foundation Launches First Heart Safe Mark Certification to Build More Heart-Safe Workplaces in Singapore
- As the first of its kind, the Heart Safe Mark recognises organisations that empower their employees with life-saving skills and establish a structured approach to responding to cardiac emergencies, supported by accessible AEDs.
- The latest out-of-hospital cardiac arrest statistics for Singapore pointed to a rising number of cases, of which 20% occurred outside residential settings, which could include some workplaces.
- SHF aims to certify 200 organisations over the next five years, helping to build more heart-safe workplaces in Singapore.
Singapore, 17 October 2026 – The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) today launched the Heart Safe Mark — Singapore’s first cardiac emergency response certification, developed to improve the cardiac emergency preparedness of workplaces in Singapore.
Launched at SHF’s annual mass CPR and AED training and certification event Project Heart themed “Building Heart-Safe Workplaces” this year, the Heart Safe Mark reinforces SHF’s commitment to building a heart-safe nation.
The event, held at ITE College Central, was graced by Ms Jasmin Lau, Acting Minister for Manpower and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information.
Certifying Heart-Safe Workplaces
Unique to SHF, the Heart Safe Mark recognises organisations that are committed to training their employees in life-saving skills, familiarising them with the processes for responding to a cardiac emergency as a team, and ensuring that there is an automated external defibrillator (AED) on their premises.
The certification will serve as a mark of assurance that an organisation is equipped to respond to a cardiac emergency, giving its employees, associates and members of the public greater confidence that help is at hand when one strikes.
An organisation that fulfils these criteria will be recognised with the Heart Safe Mark, which will be valid for two years:
- A minimum of five employees or 10% of its employees, whichever is the larger number, must be trained to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an AED.
- A group of trained employees must have completed SHF’s Cardiac Life Emergency Action Response (CLEAR) programme, which equips teams with a structured approach to responding to cardiac emergencies.
- At least one AED must be installed on the workplace premises, either within the office or elsewhere in the building in which the workplace is located.
Recipients of the Heart Safe Mark will each receive a certificate of recognition as well as a set of glass panel decals, and these organisations will also be officially acknowledged on SHF’s website.
In a recent research report published by the Unit for Pre-hospital Emergency Care this July, Singapore recorded a total of 4,058 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases in 2022, of which 20% occurred outside residential settings, and these could include workplaces. Meanwhile, findings from a 2026 Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey on CPR and AED published by SHF found that only 51% of the respondents said that they would perform CPR if they witnessed a cardiac arrest, while only 46% of them said that they would step forward to use an AED to save a life. The Heart Safe Mark could potentially help more individuals step up their skills and confidence to save a life at workplaces to address this gap.
“Many of us spend most of our week at work, with our colleagues. So having trained help nearby will be critical when any of them suffers a cardiac arrest. Knowing what to do, and how to execute it swiftly and confidently, with the right equipment, when that happens — these are the elements that the Heart Safe Mark brings together, providing organisations with a clear framework to strengthen their cardiac emergency preparedness,” said Mr Geoffrey Ong, Chief Executive Officer, SHF.
A Tale of a Life Saved at a Workplace
Nothing is more powerful than a sudden cardiac arrest survivor’s testimony when it comes to advocating for cardiac emergency preparedness at workplaces.
Mohamed Munir, an employee of ExxonMobil Singapore, was fortunate to have been saved by his colleagues when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at work.
“I would never have imagined that my heart would stop pumping and that I would black out just like that. Looking back, I am thankful that my colleagues were trained in CPR and AED skills, and that they were so brave to have stepped forward to save me. I truly believe that everyone in a workplace should pick up life-saving skills. In fact, these skills can even help save lives beyond the workplace,” said Munir, who was also one of the sudden cardiac arrest survivors who presented an award to their rescuers at the Survivor Awards Singapore at the Project Heart 2026 event.
ExxonMobil Singapore is one of the first recipients of the Heart Safe Mark, alongside other notable organisations like Amazon Web Services Singapore and the People’s Association, which have also taken their first step towards strengthening their cardiac emergency preparedness.
Getting More Workplaces onto the Heart-Safe Side
While there are currently close to 20 organisations recognised with the Heart Safe Mark, SHF is optimistic that more will apply for the certification in the years to come.
“The Heart Safe Mark will go a long way towards building a more heart-safe Singapore, starting with workplaces. The Singapore Heart Foundation believes that organisations will see the value of this certification, and we aim to certify 200 organisations in the first five years of its launch,” said Clin A/Prof Ching Chi Keong, Honorary Secretary of SHF and Chairperson of SHF’s Heart Safe Committee. Prof Ching is also Senior Consultant with the Department of Cardiology at the National Heart Centre Singapore.
“Launching this new certification at Project Heart 2026 is especially meaningful, as it is SHF’s signature event that brings people from all walks of life together to learn and be certified in CPR and AED skills, helping to build a community that is ready to respond when a cardiac emergency strikes,” he added.
For more information on the Heart Safe Mark, organisations may visit www.myheart.org.sg/heart-safe-mark.
Organised in conjunction with the World Restart a Heart Day 2026, this year’s Project Heart event and the series of satellite training sessions that led up to the event saw over 15,000 individuals trained in life-saving skills, in collaboration with partners like the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Red Cross, St John Singapore, and more. 180 volunteer instructors and Chief Instructors also played an integral role in this mass training event.
