On 16 Aug, a traffic controller passed away after an accident with a truck at Lim Chu Kang. The tragic accident was the 34th workplace death to occur this year.
In light of the rising number of tragedies, local authorities will be implementing more measures to promote workplace safety. For instance, the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS) will be encouraging its members to pay contractors safety bonuses.
The association hope that the move will incentivise contractors to enhance the safety of their current work practices. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has also stepped up the enforcement of workplace safety standards.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that REDAS has asked its members to pay contractors safety bonuses during project milestones in a bid to enhance workplace standards.
Source: Shangri – La on Flickr
Speaking at a REDAS Safety Leadership Forum in Fullerton Hotel on Thursday (25 Aug), Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said developers have “tremendous influence”. As “service buyers”, they can raise safety standards by rewarding contractors for good safety performance.
He added:
This would be a strong carrot in aligning contractors’ business interests with good Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) practices.
So far, 34 workplace tragedies have occurred this year. Though there have been an overall drop in major injuries over the past decade, Singapore has reported 84 such incidents in the first six months of 2022.
Noting that this would make it the worst performance since 2014 if the number was annualised to the whole of 2022, Mr Zaqy called the trend “disheartening and unacceptable”.
As such, he called for top management to kickstart the improvement in current workplace safety culture. Property developers, being at the “very top of the construction sector”, can get the ball rolling.
Source: neajjean on Flickr
“As developers, you are in the best position to take safety leadership because you set WSH standards through your contract specifications when selecting contractors,” he said.
Mr Zaqy added that developers determine the pace of work and are in a position to reward safe behaviour and penalise poor ones.
In support of his address, REDAS President Chia Ngiang Hong said leadership styles are already moving from a hierarchical approach to one that is more collaborative.
Such an approach is even more important with the complexity and scale of current construction and infrastructure projects amid a manpower crunch, construction backlogs, cost escalation, supply chain issues, and financial challenges.
According to TODAY, MOM has stepped up enforcement of workplace safety measures.
In addition, they have reportedly doubled fines against those who violate such rules and regulations.
Construction sites will also feature signboards containing a QR code linking to MOM and its safety hotline. This will empower workers to raise safety issues if the need arises.
“They should raise red flags to their supervisors, but if the supervisors do not listen, they need to know how they can report to MOM,” Mr Zaqy said.
The ministry also revised the WSH Guidelines for Design for Safety and provided detailed checklists that developers and contractors can refer to. This will allow the inclusion of more safety measures in the planning and design phases of projects.
Mr Zaqy further noted that companies need to be self-motivated to practice workplace safety, which often depends on the culture and processes the top management sets.
To facilitate this, MOM is finalising the Code of Practice (COP) on Chief Executives’ and Board of Directors’ WSH Duties. Listing out key WSH responsibilities for management and boards to take note of, the draft is now available to the public.
Furthermore, courts can use the draft to assign the extent of responsibility that lies with company leaders and its board when workplace accidents occur.
Mr Zaqy also thanked companies which have already upheld practices that incentivise contractors to enhance safety — two such companies were Keppel Land and City Developments Limited.
He further noted that a few members were using technology to enhance the level of safety in workplaces. For instance, developers can use the e-service CheckSAFE to find more details about a company’s safety record when appointing vendors.
“In the end, developers benefit from stronger safety performance, lower risk of work stoppage due to accidents, and certainly a better reputation,” he said.
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Featured image adapted from Shangri – La on Flickr.
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