9 out of 10 construction sites inspected breached safety rules

SINGAPORE — An inspection of 214 construction sites has found that 191 of them violated workplace safety rules, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said today (Feb 10).

These cases mainly involved not barricading the open sides of buildings and not installing guard rails and toeboards, putting workers at risk of falling off buildings and being struck by falling tools and debris.

Six worksites were issued with Stop Work Orders. Fines totalling S$156,000 were handed out and 272 Notices of Non-Compliance (NNCs) were issued.

The three-week long operation was launched last month by the MOM, which had noted that the period before Chinese New Year last year was marred by construction accidents, which resulted in the death of eight workers, as contractors ignored safe practices in order to complete their work before the festive period. 

This year has seen at least two construction deaths, with a construction worker killed while assembling formwork panels at Shimizu Corporation’s worksite along Alexandra Terrace on Jan 23. Earlier this month, a construction worker at a site along Beach Road plunged to his death from the sixth floor when the beam he was harnessed to fell. 

Last week, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin revealed that Singapore’s workplace death rate fell to its lowest ever last year, to 1.8 deaths at the workplace per 100,000 employees — down from 2.3 in 2013. 
However, this still meant that 60 lives were lost last year, he said, urging businesses to do more and aim for zero fatalities.  

The latest operation targeted the construction sector, focusing on formwork, work-at-height and lifting operations. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, director of MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate Department, said common contraventions include open sides of buildings or work areas that were not barricaded, failure to install guard rails and toeboards and failure to provide safe access to scaffolding. 

“These hazards should have been addressed by carrying out proper risk management and putting in place the preventive measures to eliminate or mitigate risks,” he said in a statement.  “We remind all occupiers of their duty to ensure the safety and health of their workers, and not to cut corners in the interest of meeting project schedules.”

Mr Tan said the operation’s outcome showed that some contractors were still not placing emphasis on the safety and health of their workers. 

“MOM has received feedback and observed that some companies chose to take the easy way out by cutting corners in safety to meet project deadlines. Such an attitude is irresponsible and unacceptable,” he said. “Tight schedules should not be an excuse to put workers at risk. Deadlines must be met, but never at the expense of our workers’ lives and well-being.”