SINGAPORE — Eight workers from the construction sector died at work in the first half of the year, compared to 17 by this time last year, said Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education today (June 17).

Despite the improvement, the industry should not rest on its laurels, he stressed at the launch of the Singapore Contractors Association’s (SCAL) Construction Safety and Security Campaign.

In April, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute set the goal of zero workplace accidents.

While this is a target that all contractors should aim for, SCAL president Ho Nyok Yong said a change in the industry’s mindset to focus on safety is even more important.

Initiatives to make workplaces safer have been rolled out, including stricter penalties for companies that flout safety regulations and compulsory implementation of data loggers in mobile cranes by August 2018.

Data loggers record information of crane operations, discouraging unsafe practices.

Mr Hawazi said companies could start applying for a co-funding scheme run by the WSH Council from Aug 3 to alleviate the cost of implementing the data loggers — estimated at S$10,000 each.

He encouraged companies to retrofit their mobile cranes early to “ensure safer operations, more efficient use of cranes and improved safety for (their) on-site workers and the public”.