By Arul John

HOW often have you seen migrant workers perched precariously on construction material or even cabinets while riding in the back of pick-up trucks?

One moment of folly, and an accident can turn into a tragedy with the workers flung off the truck.

New rules have been introduced to enhance the safety of workers who are ferried on the back of pick-up trucks and lorries.

From next year, all new lorries used to carry workers must have a canopy to protect them. This will be extended to apply to all lorries here from 1 Sep 2012.

Do such canopies help?

In California, uncovered lorries that ferry workers are required to have seat belts.

Pick-up trucks with metal covers over their rear decks are exempted from this regulation.

However, in 1993, 55 people died in the US in accidents which involved people being thrown from the rear decks covered with such canopies, the Los Angeles Times reported the following year.

The report said the covers often flew off on impact after serious accidents, flinging off those sitting on the rear decks.

The safety manager of a construction firm here, who gave his name only as Mr Cheng, said its fleet of eight 3m lorries and two 6m lorries were fitted with canopies and higher side railings even before the new regulations were put in place.

This was in accordance with guidelines from its regional office in Hong Kong.

He said: "The canopies mainly shelter the workers from bad weather. In an accident, the canopies and railings aren't too helpful as the workers can still be jostled about inside."

Mr Tan Jin Thong, president of the National Safety Council of Singapore (NSCS), told The New Paper that canopies would not help much if the lorry overturns.

He said: "But at least the number of workers being flung onto the road can be reduced and that is better."

Last year, 210 workers travelling in the backs of lorries were injured or killed in accidents.

This is about three times the number in 2005.

The rising number of worker deaths has prompted many to ask that more be done to ensure the safety of workers.

Mr Tan wants tougher measures but added that worker safety is the responsibility of both employees and employers.

Foreign workers should be educated in our safety culture too, he said.

A workgroup chaired by the Ministry of Manpower and Land Transport Authority (LTA), and including representatives from the Transport Ministry and Traffic Police, came up with the new regulations.

Cost is an issue

Why not add seat belts to the lorries or use buses to transport workers?

The main reason appears to be cost.

The workgroup said commercial lorries here, unlike SAF 3- and 5-tonners, do not have suitable points to fit safety belts, and such retrofitting is not feasible or cost-effective.

Associate Professor Chin Hoong Chor of the National University of Singapore's Department of Civil Engineering said: "After all, the rear deck is mainly designed to carry cargo, not people. Fitting seat belts might also be too expensive for firms which do not have large fleets of lorries."

But construction worker Raju Paniappan said: "Seat belts are a good idea and I hope the Government will do more studies and implement them later."

In Hong Kong, Mr Cheng said, buses are used to ferry workers.

He said it cost about $1,000 to fit each canopy in his firm's lorries.

Prof Chin said buses may be too expensive for smaller firms to use and are not practical as some firms need vehicles that can ferry people and equipment as well.

The workgroup concluded that "there is no strong justification to disallow the practice of carrying workers on lorries here", and current safety measures and enforcement efforts had generally worked to keep the casualty rates of workers transported at the back of lorries here low.

Mr Tan said the new regulations are effective.

He said that workers used to sit on boxes and other objects in the rear decks of lorries.

But now more of them are seen sitting on planks as they are meant to.

"That means the new rules have been disseminated and they have become more disciplined," he said.

The New Rules

FROM 1 SEP THIS YEAR:

A worker cannot be seated any higher than 1.1m from the lorry's cargo deck.

Those who breach this rule will be fined $200. Anyone caught ferrying more workers than allowed by the space on the cargo deck will also be fined $500 for the first offence, instead of $200 previously.

FROM 1 JAN NEXT YEAR:

Newly registered lorries carrying workers on rear decks must have higher protective side railings and canopies over their rear decks.

BY 1 SEP 2012:

All lorries used to transport workers must have these fittings. From that date, the seating space per worker will also be doubled, effectively halving the number of workers each vehicle can carry.

There will be stricter enforcement, and a hotline to enable the public to report anyone who does not follow the rules.

anathan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.