Special Enforcement Exercise at Construction Sites: Ministry of Manpower Press Release, 7 August 2002

Singapore Government Press Release

Media Relations Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts,

MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369

Tel: 6837-9666

07 AUGUST 2002

PRESS RELEASE

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT EXERCISE AT CONSTRUCTION SITES ON 7 AUGUST 2002 (WEDNESDAY) AT 9.00AM

The Occupational Safety Department (OSD), Ministry of Manpower conducted a special enforcement exercise at two construction worksites at about 10.00am this morning. During the exercise, officers from OSD conducted a thorough safety inspection of the worksites of Wyndham Construction Pte Ltd located at Jalan Kampong Chantek and Woh Hup Pte Ltd at Sin Ming Walk / Sin Ming Avenue. The inspection revealed two different situations of safety standards.

The safety condition of the worksite of Woh Hup Pte Ltd was found to be generally satisfactory. The contractor had ensured that a comprehensive safety management system was in place with the worksite’s open sides, which could result in fall of workers, effectively barricaded and materials and equipment safely kept. The workers were also equipped with personal protective equipment and were consistently briefed on safe work practices.

In contrast, the inspection at the site of Wyndham Construction Pte Ltd revealed various breaches of the safety laws. These breaches were severe enough to cause the death or injury to workers. The lists of offences are enumerated in the table below.

Under the Ministry’s Debarment Scheme for Contractors with bad safety records, the first five such offences would not attract any demerit points. However, one demerit point would be added to each of the subsequent offences. In this case, the contractor would be issued with 22 demerit points.

The OSD inspectors also observed that these offences were likely to cause imminent danger to the lives of workers working there. As a result, a full stop work order was issued to halt all work at the worksite. This full stop work order would result in a further ten demerit points to be issued to the contractor. The contractor, having accrued a total of 32 demerit points, would be issued a warning letter under the Debarment Scheme.

The Ministry would like to advise contractors to comply strictly with the requirements of the safety laws. Breaches of the law may result in demerit points being issued against them. This could lead to the contractors’ subsequent debarment from employing foreign workers if they fail to improve their safety records.

TABLE: RESULTS OF SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT EXERCISE

S/No	Contraventions	No. of Counts
1.	Failing to put up adequate barricades and suitable warning signs at the open sides of excavations where persons may fall more than 3 metres.	1
2.	Failing to guard by effective barriers the open sides through which a person might fall.	9
3.	Failing to ensure that the temporary electrical installations at the worksite complied with clause 5.5.1 of the Singapore Standard CP 88 : Part I : 2001, Code of Practice for Temporary Electrical Installations — Part 1: Construction and Building Sites in that the plugs and socket-outlets were not in compliance with the requirements of IEC 60309 (the plugs and socket-outlets used were not industrial plugs and socket-outlets).	1
4.	Failing to ensure that excavated material and other superimposed loads were placed at least 610mm back from the edge of open excavation.	1
5.	Storage of material or equipment close to edge of a floor or platform, endangering persons below.	3
6.	Failing to ensure that every component of scaffold shall be free from patent defects (the members of the bintangor scaffold at the worksite had cracked).	2
7.	Failing to ensure that every standard of a Bintangor was of a size having a diameter of not less than 50 mm throughout its length.	1
8.	Failing to provide substantial handrail at the open side of staircases.	5
9.	Failing to make and keep safe every place of work for any person working there (workers were found working on bintangor scaffold at the 5th storey level of the worksite, without any provision to prevent them from falling or to arrest their fall).	1
10.	Failing to ensure all wiring was supported by proper insulators.	1
11.	Failing to ensure that height of ladder is at least one metre above the place of landing of the highest rung to be reached by the feet.	1
12.	Failing to ensure that the wooden planks were secured at the bintangor scaffold.	1