More should be done to prevent workplace deaths

There were 16 deaths at workplaces this year as of October, up from 10 in the whole of last year and the highest since 2012 (“Workplace fatalities rise this year as more workers fall from height”; Nov 27).

In response to the higher number, the causes of these incidents must be ascertained. Were there structural or systemic weaknesses, personal carelessness owing to distractions, or a combination of both? Details are scant. If structural or systemic factors are to blame, employers should shoulder greater responsibility. In fact, more punitive measures can be introduced to increase vigilance and stem the trend. Are incidents more likely within a particular industry, or even a company?

It is not about deaths per se. There have been 87 cases of major injuries from workplace falls, compared with 88 last year, and also a higher overall number of work-related fatalities and injuries.

It is disconcerting that the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s endeavours, such as clinics by the Manpower Ministry and even enforcement actions, have been less than adequate in this regard.

After the causes of these falls and deaths — which happened despite supposed safety improvements in the first half of the year — have been determined, the obvious next step is to assess the effectiveness of present undertakings.

Awareness projects such as the Falls Prevention Campaign sound good on paper, but lessons are not necessarily learnt. Do companies gain from the aforementioned clinics, are changes implemented thereafter and have the spot checks yielded substantive insights for the authorities?

More importantly, what do workers think? Surveys or focus group discussions can be arranged with those toiling at these workplaces, to aggregate their perceptions of how safe they feel and any red flags they may identify.

Such information is more useful than mere rhetoric about complacency and vigilance.