At worksite safety committee meetings, interpreters should be present and minutes recorded to ensure follow-up procedures are carried out.

The initiative must come from the top, as emphasised some time ago by the statement of the chief executive of one of Singapore's oil refineries that as far as safety was concerned, the buck stopped with him.

I am sure that is why our oil refineries have such excellent safety records.

I wonder if, to get a 'feel' of the worksite environment, the big guns of shipyards ever clamber down into the cramped bowels of an oil tanker to experience the heat and discomfort endured by their workers.

Or if the boss of a construction company ever travels up in a temporary worksite lift to appreciate the dangers faced by his men working on scaffolding.

There are other potentially dangerous situations on construction sites where tower cranes are rigged on top of buildings to lift materials. Attached to the rear of the crane's lengthy boom, hangs precariously a massive slab of concrete to act as a counterweight.

I dread to think what would happen to anyone below if the counterweight were dislodged and crashed down.

What precautions, such as regular inspections, are taken by the factory inspectorate to ensure such a mishap does not occur, that safety regulations are adhered to and that the site directly below is cordoned off?

Lee Kip Lee