MOM concerned about recent spate of accidents

The concrete counter weight which fell from a crane at the construction site of the future National Arts Gallery was cordoned off on Sept 30, 2013, a day after the accident which left two workers dead. After a fourth construction-related inciden
The concrete counter weight which fell from a crane at the construction site of the future National Arts Gallery was cordoned off on Sept 30, 2013, a day after the accident which left two workers dead. After a fourth construction-related incident in two weeks, the Manpower Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it was "concerned" and urged companies to enforce safety measures and proactively conduct checks. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING

After a fourth construction-related incident in two weeks, the Manpower Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it was "concerned" and urged companies to enforce safety measures and proactively conduct checks.

"The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is concerned about the spate of accidents that have taken place in the past few days. MOM urges companies to proactively carry out thorough risk assessments and enforce safety measures, to ensure the safety of their workers," said MOM's director of occupational safety and health inspectorate, Mr Chan Yew Kwong.

He added that most workplace accidents could have been prevented if companies and workers "put in more effort to ensure that the risks have been identified and mitigated".

MOM confirmed that six workers - three Bangladeshis, two Chinese nationals and one Malaysian - were injured at a construction site along Braddell Road at about 11am on Wednesday morning when a second-level suspended scaffolding collapsed. On Monday, a crane collapsed at the National Art Gallery leaving two workers dead and four injured.

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