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NOT SAFE: A worker lost his hand to the metal blades of this meat-cutting machine. RISING NUMBERS: The number of deaths linked to fires, explosions and toxic substances shot up to nine last year, up from four in 2006. -- PHOTO: MINISTRY OF MANPOWER ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
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FALLS
The most common worksite killer: Nearly four in 10 workers who lost their lives in the past two years did so in a fall.
United Engineers health and safety manager Arul Arockianathan said companies should demonstrate to workers, especially foreigners who may struggle with English, how to stay safe.
'More effort must be put in for the workers to understand what are the basic things they have to know to perform their work safely,' he said.
'The information has to be put across in a simple way. Pictures and actions also speak louder than words.'
Fatal falls are not restricted to highrise construction projects, according to a study presented yesterday.
In one case, a worker died after he fell 4m in a factory while removing false ceiling panels. He was not wearing a safety harness.
Investigations revealed there were no safe work procedures in his job, and even a simple plan might have saved his life.
HAND-RELATED INJURIES
About 150 workers lost their hands or fingers last year. They comprised nine in 10 workers saddled with permanent injuries.
One was a worker who was hosing down a meat-cutting machine when his hand got caught in its metal blades. The machine did not have a safety guard.
Most equipment comes with safety guards, but as machines age, the guards fall off or are removed, said Mr Andrew Tan, president of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers.
'What we need to do is to make sure workers don't tamper with the guards for the sake of expediency,' he said.
FIRES, EXPLOSIONS AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES
The number of deaths linked to these causes spiked to nine last year, from four in 2006, making up 14 per cent of workplace fatalities.
In one case, a worker died and another was injured when they mistakenly opened a valve and released a toxic cloud of hydrogen sulphide.
Incidents like this have the 'potential to kill a lot more people', said Mr Goh Chye Guan, executive secretary of the industry-led Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee.
'Sometimes, it's just luck there are only three workers in a confined space. What if there are 10 or 20?'
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