PIE viaduct collapse: Construction firm fined S$1 million; jail for 2 senior staff
this is index.phpSINGAPORE — The main contractor involved in the 2017 collapse of an uncompleted Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) viaduct along Upper Changi Road East was handed the maximum fine of S$1 million on Wednesday (May 12).
The court found Or Kim Peow (OKP) Contractors guilty of failing to ensure the safety of 11 foreign workers who were casting a concrete deck slab.
The firm’s project director Yee Chee Keong, 51, was jailed for 13 months and its project engineer Wong Kiew Hai, 32, was jailed for 11 months. They were convicted on the charge of recklessly endangering the workers’ safety.
Yee and Wong had failed to stop all works, despite other personnel urging them to do so. This was after Wong discovered cracks on the temporary corbels supporting the deck slab some 40 minutes before the collapse.
They were also found guilty of a second charge of obstructing justice by deleting a WhatsApp conversation between the two of them on the night of the collapse. The conversation contained photographs that Wong took of the cracks and sent to Yee.
WHAT HAPPENED
The collapse, which took place on July 14 in 2017, resulted in the death of 31-year-old China national Chen Yinchuan who was working on the deck slab. The 10 other workers suffered varying degrees of injuries, including spinal and pelvic fractures.
The collapse happened because two corbels, or temporary concrete structures, that were supporting the longest section of the viaduct gave way.
The viaduct, which is about 1.8km long and made up of 50 spans divided into eight flyovers, links the PIE to Tampines Expressway and Upper Changi Road East.
The incident happened at the longest span, which measured about 43.5m in length.
Numerous red flags had surfaced in the lead-up to the collapse.
On June 16, 2017, a month before the incident, OKP’s employees discovered cracks on one of the corbels that eventually collapsed.
OKP’s project manager, Mr Andy Chang, took photographs of the cracks and sent them to Yee.
The company then took steps to rectify the problem on the recommendations of its technical director, Mr Yueng Chun Keung, but did not tell the project’s qualified person, Robert Arianto Tjandra, about this.
Tjandra was an employee of CPG Consultants, which was engaged by OKP and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design and supervise the building works.
Two weeks later on June 30, more cracks appeared on the sides of several temporary corbels in neighbouring sections. The deck slab had already been cast to three-quarters of its length.
OKP and Tjandra discussed the cracks and took steps to reduce the load placed on the corbels.
Tjandra further instructed the firm to add two to three times more reinforcement to other corbels. The prosecution said that this should have indicated a systemic corbel under-design problem.
OKP also did not tell LTA about any of the corbel cracks.
In the early hours of July 14, 2017, the works began with Wong among those present. At about 2.50am, they saw cracks on the sides of the two corbels, prompting Wong to call Yee and send him photographs.
The prosecution said that the cracks were “much more serious” than those that appeared earlier. They were longer, wide enough to be visible from the ground more than 4m away under night lighting, and had rendered supports at both ends of the viaduct span vulnerable.
An LTA site supervisor, among others, urged Wong to stop the works. He did not.
Shortly after the collapse at 3.30am, Wong and Yee deleted their WhatsApp conversation. They argued that they did this in a moment of panic.
Both men also lied to the authorities that they had ordered for works to stop but could not implement this in time.
Tjandra, 47, was sentenced to 86 weeks’ jail, or about one year and nine-and-a-half months, in December 2019. The design engineer pleaded guilty midway through the trial to failing to double-check his team’s calculations.
The project’s accredited checker, engineering consultancy boss Leong Sow Hon, 62, was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to failing to check detailed structural plans and design calculations of the viaduct in accordance with regulations.
‘EGREGIOUS BREACH OF DUTY’
In delivering his sentence, Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun said that “there was clearly an egregious breach” by OKP of its work safety and health duties when it failed to follow the necessary safety measures.
He said that throughout the period when the cracks first appeared and up until the date of the collapse, the firm did not undertake any precautionary measures to guard against the risk of the corbels collapsing.
Moreover, the judge noted that the accident happened shortly after the firm was found guilty of a 2015 safety breach.
In that case, one worker had died, while three others were injured after they fell more than 6m from a dislodged platform.
Senior District Judge Ong said that OKP had “demonstrated a wanton disregard for the safety of its workers, and a shocking failure” to adhere to its statutory obligations under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
As for the firm’s senior employees, the judge said that Yee had “direct and intimate knowledge of the red flags”.
Being the most senior person on the project, Yee’s failure to call for a stoppage of works on July 14 was “wholly inexcusable”, the judge said.
“There was ample time and approximately 25 to 30 minutes to call for a stoppage of works from the time of discovery of the corbel cracks to the time of the collapse,” he noted.
As for Wong, Senior District Judge Ong said that Wong knew the occurrence of corbel cracks was a serious issue that demanded his urgent attention, and it was an obvious sign of danger in view of the multiple red flags.
Even if Wong had been labouring under any impression before the night of July 14 that there were no issues to the corbel design, Senior District Judge Ong said that cracks appearing during the deck slab casting would have called into question the adequacy of Tjandra’s measure and the corbels’ load-carrying capacity.
“Like Yee, Wong had about 25 to 30 minutes from the time of the discovery of the cracks to stop the works. However he failed to do so and recklessly endangered the safety of the workers,” Senior District Judge Ong said.
A spokesperson for OKP said after the sentencing that it is “glad that there is now a closure” to the accident.
“We have since re-calibrated how we work with our subcontractors and other stakeholders.
“We take this opportunity to recommit our responsibility towards the Workplace Safety and Health Act and safety.”
The spokesperson added that back in 2017, the company had made it a priority to ensure that the workers injured were taken care of and the family of the deceased was provided all necessary assistance and support.
The company had also worked closely with the insurance companies to facilitate the payout of compensation to all affected workers.
Section of false ceiling near Golden Mile Complex entrance collapses; no injuries reported
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Part of the false ceiling near the entrance of Golden Mile Complex in Beach Road collapsed on Friday evening (April 23).
A large section of ceiling boards affixed to a wooden frame, nails exposed and other debris were seen strewn across a section of the stairs near the taxi stand, but no injuries were reported.
An eyewitness told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao that she had heard the sound of something breaking shortly before the ceiling area collapsed.
Electrical wires were seen exposed in the gap of the ceiling, according to photos shared by passers-by.
A video of the incident circulating online showed large pieces of the ceiling falling suddenly.
When contacted, a spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that it was not activated for any incident at the shopping centre.
Both Wanbao and Chinese paper Shin Min Daily News reported that the area where the incident took place was cordoned off and workers were seen cleaning up the rubble later in the evening.
Workers were also seen using torchlights to examine the part of the ceiling from where the boards had fallen.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a Building and Construction Authority (BCA) spokesman said its engineers were on-site on Saturday following the incident.
They observed that the anchor rivets holding the steel hangers and timber frame of the false ceilings had dislodged from the supporting concrete slab above and noted that there was no damage to the main building structures.
BCA has instructed that the affected area directly below the fallen false ceiling to be cordoned off as a safety measure.
The authority has also instructed the building owner to appoint a professional engineer to carry out a detailed investigation of the incident, assess the condition of the ceiling structure and to carry out permanent rectification measures recommended.
Wanbao reported that Friday’s incident and another episode last year, where the ceiling in the women’s washroom on the second floor of Golden Mile Complex collapsed, have raised safety concerns among retailers and patrons at the mall.
Back to the office: 7 things you need to know as Singapore shifts to more flexible way of working amid COVID-19
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: After more than a year with working from home as the default, employees may face changes yet again as Singapore announced on Wednesday (Mar 24) a shift towards a more “flexible and hybrid” way of working.
More employees will be permitted to return to the workplace from Apr 5, with split team arrangements no longer mandatory.
There will also be no limit on the proportion of an employee’s working time that can be spent at the workplace.
Updated requirements for safe management measures at the workplace were also issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Here’s what you need to know:
- STAGGERED START TIMES, FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS
Employers must ensure staggered start times to ensure that staff members are spread out and reduce possible congregation of personnel at office entrances or lobbies. This will also reduce congestion of people in public places, including public transport, said MOM.
Flexible work hours should also be permitted for employees who may choose to split their working hours between the office and home.
These new measures apply to general workplace settings where more employees may return to better support business operations and in-person collaboration. Specific workplaces like construction worksites and shipyards may have to fulfil additional requirements and should refer to sector-specific requirements.
- WORKING FROM HOME STILL ENCOURAGED
As the risk of COVID-19 transmission still remains, employers must ensure that no more than 75 per cent of employees – up from 50 per cent currently – who are able to work from home are at the workplace at any point in time.
Employers are encouraged to support as many employees in working from home as possible as this will help to limit the number of people exposed at the workplace at any point in time, and reduce crowding in common areas.
Companies should also continue to conduct virtual meetings as far as possible, added MOM.
- MAINTAIN “WORK-LIFE HARMONY”
The MOM advisory said work from home measures should enable employees to “maintain work-life harmony” while continuing to meet business needs.
According to the Tripartite Advisory on mental well-being at workplaces, employers can support employees by appointing “mental wellness champions” to raise awareness on mental health. They can do so through talks on stress management, emotional regulation and relaxation techniques.
Employers can also provide access to counselling services such as through Employee Assistance Programmes. These services allow employees to speak to a professional about their work and non-work related challenges.
- SPECIAL ATTENTION FOR VULNERABLE EMPLOYEES
Companies are urged to pay special attention to vulnerable employees, such as those aged 60 and above, and patients who are immunocompromised or have concurrent medical conditions.
Employers are encouraged to take appropriate measures to reduce their exposure to infection risk, such as enabling these employees to work-from-home or allow them to commute at off-peak timings. These individuals may also be temporarily redeployed to another role within the company.
- UP TO 50 PEOPLE AT WORK EVENTS
Work-related events must adhere to a 50-person limit to minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection, with a minimum of 1m safe distancing maintained between all individual attendees.
Meals should also not be the main feature of the event and employers should avoid hosting events over mealtimes as far as possible.
MOM said food or drinks should only be served if “incidental” to the workplace event – for example, if the meeting extends across lunchtime. The food must also be served individually with the participants seated while consuming and the time that these people are unmasked while eating should be minimised.
- SOCIAL GATHERINGS REMAIN LIMITED TO 8
While up to 50 people are allowed at work-related events, that farewell lunch still counts as a “social and recreational gathering” , which means an eight-person party is the limit, as per prevailing guidelines.
This goes for things like team bonding activities as well, within or outside the workplace. Gatherings involving more than a single group of eight people are not allowed, said MOM.
- EMPLOYERS TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT FACE MASKS, DISINFECTANTS
Need to change your face mask at work? Your employer must ensure it has enough masks for all employees.
This includes any need to replace masks more frequently due to workplace conditions such as in humid environments or call centres where the nature of work may necessitate frequent mask changing.
“Where possible, employers should consider improving the working environment for employees to enable them to sustain wearing the masks,” said MOM.
Employers must also provide cleaning agents such as liquid soap and toilet paper, as well as disinfecting agents like hand sanitisers, sprays, paper towels or wipes.
Singapore recalls eggs from another Malaysian farm due to Salmonella bacteria
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed several importers to recall eggs from Linggi Agriculture in Malaysia, after detecting the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the product.
This is the second time in a week that SFA has recalled eggs from a Malaysian farm due to Salmonella Enteritidis contamination.
On Mar 12, a recall was announced for eggs from Lay Hong Berhad Layer Farm Jeram. Malaysian authorities have since launched an investigation into the company.
In a media release on Friday (Mar 19), SFA said the Linggi Agriculture farm has been suspended and that the suspension will be lifted only when it has rectified the Salmonella Enteritidis contamination issue.
The affected eggs have the code “CEM014” stamped on their shells.
The importers are An Hong Egg Supplies, Chuan Huat Poultry Farm Pte Ltd, Dasoon Pte Ltd and FE Supply Pte Ltd.
Those who have purchased the affected eggs are advised to cook them thoroughly before consumption.
Those who have eaten the eggs and are unwell should seek medical attention, said SFA.
EGGS SAFE TO CONSUME IF COOKED THOROUGHLY
Salmonella Enteritidis can be present inside the egg, as well as on the eggshell.
“As SE can be destroyed by heat, eggs are safe to consume if they are cooked thoroughly,” said SFA.
The bacteria can survive in raw and undercooked eggs and may cause foodborne illness. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting.
While SE infection typically subsides within a week in most people, it can cause serious infection in vulnerable groups such as the elderly, young children and those with weakened immune systems, said SFA.
To reduce the risk of infection, consumers should ensure that eggs are cooked thoroughly until the egg white and yolk are solid, and practise proper hygiene to prevent cross-contamination with other food.
Caterer Chilli Api’s operations suspended after 82 people fall ill with gastroenteritis
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Caterer Chilli Api was ordered to suspend operations from Sunday (Mar 14) after 82 people fell ill with gastroenteritis symptoms.
Fourteen of them have been hospitalised and are in stable condition, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a media release.
Those who fell ill had consumed food prepared by Chilli Api Catering, located at Shimei East Kitchen in Bedok North, between Mar 10 and 12.
“In view of the suspected ongoing transmission, SFA has issued a direction to suspend Chilli Api Catering Pte Ltd food business operations with effect from Mar 14, 2021, until further notice,” said the authorities.
All food handlers working at the premises are required to re-attend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 1 and test negative for foodborne pathogens before they can resume work as food handlers.
The appointed food hygiene officers working at the premises are also required to re-attend and pass the Workforce Skills Qualifications’ Conduct Food and Beverage Hygiene Audit course before they can resume work as food hygiene officers.
The licensee is also required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils.
In 2019, Chilli Api had its food hygiene grade cut to C after 24 employees of Jurong Polyclinic who consumed the food developed symptoms of gastroenteritis.
SFA reminded food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, saying it “will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act”.
“In the interest of maintaining a high standard of food hygiene at all eating establishments, we would also like to advise members of the public who come across poor hygiene practices in food establishments not to patronise such outlets but to report to SFA,” said the authorities.
10 people taken to hospital with burn injuries after explosion in Tuas industrial building
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Ten workers suffered burn injuries from an explosion at an industrial building in Tuas on Wednesday (Feb 24).
In a statement posted on Facebook, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that about 65 others in the vicinity of the blaze had evacuated before the arrival of firefighters.
The SCDF said it responded to the fire at No. 32E Tuas Avenue 11 at about 11.25am and took eight workers to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for burn injuries.
Two workers were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) by their employer.
The address is that of Platinum @ Pioneer, an industrial development with 16 terraced factory units and a canteen housed in two buildings.
Videos of the incident showed about a dozen workers gathering outside on the ground floor of the premises as smoke continued to billow into the sky from the building.
Eight of them appeared to be injured, with significant portions of their skin peeling off. One of them was seen lying on the ground screaming in pain.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said workers were carrying out work on an industrial mixer when the explosion occurred. She said MOM was monitoring the conditions of the victims and is investigating.
A Feb 16 post on the Facebook page of Soon Hock Group, the developer of the site, said there is an approved dormitory for 11 persons on the top floor of one of the buildings.
A spokesman for Soon Hock Group said it has sent a team down to conduct investigations.
MOM said there were less than 20 migrant workers staying on the site at the time of the explosion, and that separate housing arrangements are being made for the unhurt workers.
SCDF said that a unit in the industrial building was smoke-logged when firefighters arrived on Wednesday. They wore breathing apparatus to locate the blaze.
“The fire involved an industrial mixer in the affected unit and was extinguished with two water jets,” the SCDF added.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The unit is registered to Shield+, a fire protection equipment supplier. But the occupier at the time was Stars Engrg, which is also the employer of the eight workers who were taken to SGH.
Stars Engrg is also in the business of fire protection.
When contacted, spokesman for Stars Engrg Mr Chua Xing Da, who is also the director for Shield+, declined to comment, saying that it was “not a good time to say anything”.
Mr Wong Wee Chiang, 45, who owns mechanical engineering firm P3 Project, said he heard an explosion at around 11am. His firm occupies the unit opposite Shield+.
Mr Wong said he evacuated with his staff from the building, but later discovered that two of his workers had been hurt in the blast.
He said one worker had burns on his hands and buttocks, while the other had been knocked to the ground by the blast.
He took both of them to NTFGH before the arrival of SCDF personnel.
There have been at least seven deaths from workplace accidents this month alone in what Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad has called an “extremely alarming” trend.
Four of the deaths happened in the first 10 days of the month.
Nearly 130,000 Singtel customers’ personal information, including NRIC details, stolen in data breach
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Personal information of nearly 130,000 Singtel customers was stolen after a recent data breach of a third-party file-sharing system, the local telco said on Wednesday (Feb 17).
Singtel has completed initial investigations into the breach and established which files on the Accellion file transfer appliance were accessed illegally, the company said in a news release.
The personal information taken includes about 129,000 customers’ NRIC numbers and a combination of names, dates of birth, mobile numbers and addresses, said Singtel.
In addition, bank account details of 28 former Singtel employees and credit card details of 45 staff members of a corporate customer with Singtel mobile lines were taken.
“Some information” from 23 enterprises, including suppliers, partners and corporate customers, was also stolen.
The telco has started notifying all affected individuals and enterprises to help them and their staff manage the possible risks involved and take appropriate follow-up action, it said.
Singtel’s Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said: “While this data theft was committed by unknown parties, I’m very sorry this has happened to our customers and apologise unreservedly to everyone impacted.
“Data privacy is paramount, we have disappointed our stakeholders and not met the standards we have set for ourselves.
“Given the complexity and sensitivity of our investigations, we are being as transparent as possible and providing information that is accurate to the best of our knowledge. We are doing our level best to keep our customers supported in mitigating the potential risks.”
Singtel said a “large part” of the leaked data includes its “internal information that is non-sensitive”, such as data logs, test data, reports and emails.
In response to queries from CNA, the Personal Data Protection Commission said it is aware of the data breach and is investigating.
“SOPHISTICATED” CYBERATTACK ON ACCELLION
Accellion, which Singtel used as a third-party file-sharing system, was the target of a “sophisticated” cyberattack exploiting a “previously unknown vulnerability”, said the telco.
When it was first alerted to exploits against the system in December last year, Singtel “promptly applied” a series of patches provided by Accellion to “plug the vulnerability”, it said. The last patch was on Dec 27 last year.
On Jan 23, Accellion advised that a new vulnerability had emerged that rendered the earlier patches previously applied in December ineffective.
Singtel immediately took the system offline, and the FTA system has been kept offline since Jan 23, said the company.
“On Jan 30, Singtel’s attempt to patch the new vulnerability in the FTA system triggered an anomaly alert. Accellion informed thereafter that the system could have been breached,” said Singtel.
The telco’s investigations later confirmed the breach and identified Jan 20 as the date it had occurred.
“On Feb 9, Singtel established that files were taken as a result of the breach and informed the public two days later on Feb 11,” said the company.
IDENTITY MONITORING SERVICES FOR AFFECTED CUSTOMERS
On Wednesday, Singtel said it is appointing a global data and information service provider to provide identity monitoring services at no cost to affected customers to help them “manage potential risks”.
This service monitors public websites and “non-public places” on the Internet, and notifies users of any unusual activity related to their personal information, the telco explained.
Affected individual customers will be notified via email or post about what personal details were accessed and how they can best manage the risks involved, Singtel said in an FAQ on its website.
“We are working with the utmost urgency to ascertain the nature and extent of data that has been potentially accessed. We will reach out to individuals and organisations whose information may have been illegally downloaded,” it added in the FAQ.
Singtel’s core operations and functions remain “unaffected and sound” as the incident involves a standalone system provided by a third-party vendor, said Mr Yuen.
He thanked customers and partners for their “patience and understanding” as it continued its cyber and criminal investigations to “understand the full extent of this breach”.
“Information security remains our highest priority and you have my commitment that we are conducting a thorough review of our systems and processes to strengthen them,” he added.
Authorities issue new hygiene guidelines on handling of ready-to-eat raw fish
this is index.phpSINGAPORE — With days to go before Chinese New Year on Feb 12, the authorities have come up with guidelines on the handling, storing and processing of ready-to-eat raw fish, which is set to feature prominently at reunion dinners.The aim is to prevent bacterial and parasitic contamination, and keep raw fish safe for consumption.
Dr Tan Lee Kim, Singapore Food Agency’s deputy chief executive officer and director-general of food administration, said on Monday (Feb 8) that ready-to-eat raw fish is considered a high-risk food as it does not go through a cooking process to kill pathogens and harmful organisms.“Consumers who choose to consume raw fish must be aware of the risks that are associated with it,” she added.Last year, cases of bacterial infections were associated with eating raw freshwater fish. Fifty cases of invasive Group B Streptococcus were reported by public hospitals in July last year — twice the average monthly figure of 25 from earlier in 2020, The Straits Times reported.
The guidelines were developed by government agency Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Standards Council, an industry-led body that reviews and develops standards in the country.
In the second quarter of this year, the authorities will work to raise awareness among industry players, such as suppliers and food retailers, about the guidelines’ requirements.For industry players, they are recommended to ensure that frozen ready-to-eat raw fish is received at specific temperatures, among other things.They are also recommended to maintain proper tracing and record-keeping systems, and educate consumers on how to retain the quality and safety of raw fish after purchase.Here are some key recommendations for consumers:
Follow instructions on the package regarding handling and storage of ready-to-eat raw fish
If the ready-to-eat raw fish has expired, discard and do not consume it
When shopping, buy perishables such as ready-to-eat raw fish last
Keep ready-to-eat raw fish in insulated bags
Place ready-to-eat raw fish as soon as possible in the chiller and maintain the temperature at between 0°C and 4°C Thaw frozen ready-to-eat raw fish in the refrigerator’s chiller section
Wash hands, utensils and table-tops with water and detergent before and after processing ready-to-eat raw fish
To avoid cross-contamination, use different utensils and appliances when preparing ready-to-eat raw fish and cooked food
Implement three basic rules: Keep it clean, at the correct temperature in the chiller or freezer and do not refreeze
The guidelines can be bought from the Singapore Standards’ online store at www.singaporestandardseshop.sg.
Safety track records of construction firms can be easily compared on new MOM e-service
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Construction firms’ safety track records will be more easily accessible from Thursday (Jan 21), with statistics on information such as fatalities and stop-work orders consolidated for easy comparison.
The data on the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) website will also be updated every fortnight.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad gave the update after observing a work site inspection on Thursday morning.
The records, uploaded to a platform called CheckSafe, also include enforcement details such as demerit points, and whether the company is under the Business Under Surveillance (Bus) programme or has workplace safety and health (WSH) records.
This allows industry players and the public to compare such records and make selections of contractors based on their WSH records, said MOM.
While such information was available previously on MOM’s site, users comparing such statistics had to download separate PDF files, each documenting one statistic. The files were also not changed in sync, with updates between once every two weeks and once per quarter.
They can now see multiple statistics at a glance.
Records displayed on CheckSafe date back three years – with the exception of fatalities, which are reflected for a year – in hopes that contravening companies will improve their safety standards and not be faulted for past incidents over the long term.
More industries beyond construction will be added progressively.
Thursday’s inspection that Mr Zaqy joined was one of about 400 inspections in Operation Robin, which began following a spate of workplace deaths late last year.
Between Nov 23 and Dec 2, five fatalities took place in separate incidents, of which two were in construction.
The operation runs from Dec 10 to Feb 15, and targets high-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing and marine.
Mr Zaqy said the recent emphasis on site inspections is in tandem with the resumption of work in high-risk sectors in the last quarter of 2020, where workplace injuries reported were similar to the same period in 2019.
“This (safety inspections) is something we are committed to… especially since businesses have reopened post-circuit breaker and post-phase two,” he said.
“It’s important that we continue to be vigilant because we also notice certain trends, where businesses rush works in order to catch up on schedule,” he added.
Thus far, about 450 contraventions have been found during Operation Robin, and four stop-work orders issued, including one to the work site inspected on Thursday – condo development Affinity at Serangoon that is built by L.S. Construction.
Mr Zaqy said multiple contraventions were found, including work-at-height issues and commencing excavation works without adequate safety measures.
On the CheckSafe e-service, Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore president Chia Ngiang Hong said: “CheckSafe is designed to promote greater ownership of the industry’s WSH performance and will help to ensure that the various stakeholders are notified of safety track records of construction and other related companies.
“With this knowledge, their decision on the choice of such companies will be better informed and well guided, and likely to lead to better WSH performance.”
President of the Singapore Contractors Association Ng Yek Meng also welcomed the new e-service, emphasising that it encourages greater transparency and ownership of WSH practices.
CheckSafe can be accessed here.