November 2019 has not been a good month on our sunny shores.
Goody Feed has had to write about more than one death at construction projects and other high-risk industries, and that is never good.
To give you a glimpse about how bad the situation is:
In this month alone, eight deaths at construction projects have occurred all over Singapore, in places such as Novena, Sengkang and Balestier.
MOM Will Increase Inspections For High-Risk Industries Following 8 Deaths At Work In Nov 2019
Thankfully, MOM has not kept mum about the situation.
The Minister of State for Manpower and National Development Zaqy Mohamed announced on Facebook that there were eight workers who lost their lives while they were at work.
These incidences often happen at high-risk industries like the construction and marine sector.
“MOM takes every fatality very seriously and is investigating the accidents.”
It’s no surprise then that action needs to be taken. So what exactly are they going to do?
MOM Will Conduct 400 Inspections In High-Risk Industries Over Next 2 Months
Zaqy announced that MOM will be conducting 400 inspections in high-risk industries over the next two months in addition to the regular inspections.
This is in a bid to step up enforcement efforts.
The primary aim of this is to encourage companies to address workplace safety and health (WSH) risks.
The minister of state also hopes that the construction firm will abide by the Singapore Contractors Association Limited’s announcement to have a safety timeout and take stock procedures at project sites.
Here is what the full post says:
I am deeply concerned about the spate of fatal workplace accidents this month. Eight workers have lost their lives while on the job. Most of these cases happened in high-risk industries such as Construction and Marine. MOM takes every fatality very seriously and is investigating the accidents.
The safety of our workers is our utmost priority. I urge all stakeholders to stay vigilant especially as the festive season approaches and work activities may be increased to meet production schedules. Companies should carry out thorough risk assessments and put in place mitigating measures to reduce risks to workers.
MOM will also step up on enforcement efforts. On top of the regular inspections, we will conduct 400 inspections in high-risk industries over the next two months to ensure companies address workplace safety and health (WSH) risks.
At the same time, we will work closely with the WSH Council and the industry to safeguard workers and the public. We urge Construction firms to heed the Singapore Contractors Association Limited’s call to conduct a safety timeout and take stock of safety procedures at project sites.
WSH is everyone’s responsibility.
