MOM's enforcement efforts on safety at workplaces

To curb the spike in workplace fatalities, we have ramped up our enforcement efforts and imposed stiffer penalties on companies with poor workplace safety and health practices.

At our recent inspections, we found unsafe conditions at the worksites of two companies: CAD Associates and KHC Development Pte Ltd. Both were issued with stop-work orders as well as composition fines amounting to $21,000 and $20,000 respectively.

To lift the stop-work orders, these companies must do the following:

• Rectify all unsafe work conditions
• Engage third-party auditors to assess their workplace safety and health management systems
• Develop action plans based on the audit findings
• Install CCTVs at places where high risk activities are being carried out

“The site conditions at these two worksites are appalling and unacceptable. Our workers must never be subject to such imminent dangers where they risk falling from heights or have materials collapsing on them. As more construction activities pick up, contractors must step up their efforts to keep our worksites safe for our workers.” – Mr Sebastian Tan, Director, Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate.

Take a look at some of our findings below. To report unsafe work practices, please visit mom.gov.sg/report-wsh-issues or call 6438 5122.

During our inspections, the most common workplace safety contravention was working at heights, without effective and adequate fall prevention in place.

In the above photo, a worker was also found erecting the formwork without any fall prevention measures such as having effective barricades and proper work platforms. This could result in a fall from heights.

Proper supervision and fall prevention measures must be implemented according to the fall prevention plan before any work-at-height activity is to be done in the workplace.

Not having barricades and toe-boards at the sides also risks having loose materials fall over the edge, and injuring workers below.

Access to all work areas should be kept clear, and loose materials should be stored in areas where persons are not required to pass.

Besides not installing barricades to prevent falls, this worksite also did not provide safe access for workers to climb onto the work area.

The A-frame ladder was not used in a correct manner. A secured step ladder or monkey ladder with proper handholds should be used for access onto the work area instead.

In this photo, a worker was caught jumping from the rooftop onto an external scaffold, which could result in him tripping and falling from height.

Proper and safe access should be provided for workers to get to all work areas.

Unsecured decking placed on unsecured GI pipes over a void area posed imminent danger to workers crossing over the area. This unsafe makeshift platform, built without any proper design and calculation, could collapse or flip on its side.

This scaffold was erected by untrained workers, and was placed in an unsafe manner on the next roof, with unsecured access onto the scaffold.

Scaffolds must be erected by trained workers; for scaffolds more than 4m in height, an approved scaffold contractor must be engaged to construct, erect, install, re-position, alter, maintain, repair or dismantle the scaffold.

In this photo, workers were caught using unsafe work platforms. The work platforms had missing sole plates, lack of proper access, unsecured decking, and missing toe-boards and guardrails. These could result in the toppling or collapse of the work platform.

All work platforms erected on site must be provided with adequate foundation, proper access points, effective barricades, and be safe for its intended use.