I was shocked to read about the faulty lift in Punggol and am glad that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has suspended its operation ("BCA suspends use of faulty lift in Punggol"; Jan 25).

It is critical to review the incident and how we handle safety violations and risk incidents.

Why did it take two hours for a team from the town council to arrive after the fault was reported?

Such a report should trigger an urgent priority so that the team can shut down the lift. It was pure luck that no one was injured during the time that the lift continued to operate.

Since it was the BCA who ordered the suspension, does that mean the town council and lift contractor evaluated the lift and certified it as fit to continue service?

What sorts of checks were employed? Are there guidelines on the proper processes to take when abnormalities like this happen?

In general, Singapore has poor safety understanding and consideration.

There are many incidents where safety practices are violated every day, and there appears to be no action taken to address them.

There needs to be a review of the current process of handling safety violations. There must also be risk management to take care of potential safety violations.

I suggest that a safety unit be set up as part of the Prime Minister's Office. It should have the authority to review and impose proper processes and best codes of practice for safety.

Ho Tat Meng