MOM: Safety lessons shared with industry

MOM: Safety lessons shared with industry

SINGAPORE - We would like to thank Mr Goh Yang Miang for his suggestion to share the lessons learnt from past construction accidents ("Share lessons from past construction accidents"; Tuesday).

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) works closely with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to share lessons learnt from past accidents with industry and safety professionals in various ways.

One channel is the WSH Bulletin, a free electronic newsletter distributed about thrice weekly, which provides information on best practices and case studies of workplace accidents.

Members of the public can subscribe to the WSH Bulletin at www.wshc.sg. Findings from investigations and enforcement operations are also shared at industry conferences and seminars.

As Mr Goh noted, we issued a circular on safety requirements for formwork structures in January following the collapse of formwork at the Downtown Line Bugis MRT station last year.

The circular addressed urgent formwork safety issues while investigations into the case were under way.

We have concluded our investigations and the case is now before the courts. We will share the findings with the industry once the case concludes.

We share Mr Goh's concerns about the safety of the public who live and work near construction sites.

Under the WSH Act, contractors and employers have an obligation to ensure the safety of workplaces, as well as the safety of persons who may be affected by such work.

MOM will not hesitate to take action against errant contractors and employers.

Members of the public can call the MOM safety hotline at 6317-1111 or e-mail mom_oshd@mom.gov.sg to provide feedback on poor workplace safety and health practices. All information shared will be kept strictly confidential.

Kevin Teoh

Director

Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate

Ministry of Manpower


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