Workplace safety: Three out of seven fatalities in February 2021 were from the construction sector

Singapore, 24 February 2021 – The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council announced yesterday that there were seven fatal workplace accidents occurring in the month of February alone.

Three cases were from the construction sector, two from logistics and transport, one from marine and one from other workplaces. Of the seven, three workers fell from height, three were caught between objects and one was involved in a work-related traffic accident.

Preliminary investigations revealed that safety and health hazards were not observed. The risk assessments conducted at the workplaces were inadequate and proper work methods were also not established before work commencement. It was also indicated that there was untrained and unauthorised use of machinery, such as forklift and Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP).

Specific to forklift operation, WSH Council urges that workers must carry out a pre-shift or operational check to ensure the forklift is in a good and safe working condition. Any defects or issues should be reported immediately to the supervisor. Some checklist items include:

• Controls and steering
• Tyres condition
• Foot brake
• Lighting equipment
• Rear view mirror
• Reverse warning buzzer

Employer’s roles in protecting forklift operators and those around forklifts include:

• Selecting the appropriate forklift for the job
• Ensuring that the forklift is in a safe condition and is maintained regularly
• Allowing the forklift to be used by authorised and trained operators only
• Demarcating routes for the forklift to move around safely

John Ng, Chairman of the WSH Council, expressed his concern, “I am gravely concerned with this spate of seven fatal workplace accidents that is unprecedented and the absolute unnecessary loss of lives. These accidents can be easily prevented if proper risk assessments had been carried out, and site personnel adhere strictly to safe work procedures. I call on all employers to do a safety time-out especially on the use of machinery, to assess and review existing safety provisions and implement immediate necessary measures to uphold good safety practices.”

– Construction+ Online

Source: WSH Council