Mobile cranes be installed with data loggers to improve safety: MOM
SINGAPORE – With accidents involving cranes showing no signs of abating, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require all new and existing mobile cranes to be installed with data loggers from August.
SINGAPORE – With accidents involving cranes showing no signs of abating, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require all new and existing mobile cranes to be installed with data loggers from August.
This follows after the MOM, the National Crane Safety Taskforce and crane industry partners did a two-year study on the use of data loggers in mobile cranes to prevent workplace accidents.
According to the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Statistics Report 2014 released two weeks ago, there were three fatalities and 12 major and minor injuries involving cranes last year. In the first three months of this year, 10 crane-related injuries were reported.
Data loggers on cranes allow companies to monitor the performance of workers operating cranes, and use the data to improve safety in daily operations.
During an MOM enforcement operation this year, 55 companies were found to have failed to comply with safety procedures. 236 fines and Notices of Non-Compliance (NNC) were issued and two Stop Work Orders were issued to worksites to cease operations to rectify safety lapses.
“We cannot just rely on safety time outs or wait for MOM to send their inspectors to check our worksites to put a stop to unsafe crane operations,” National Crane Safety Taskforce chairman Mohamed Abdul Akbar said.
For existing mobile cranes, the retrofitting must be completed by August 2018.