SINGAPORE – Ten stop-work orders and fines totalling nearly half a million dollars were meted out to companies in the construction, manufacturing and marine sectors that flouted rules involving workers carrying out tasks at height.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it carried out more than 1,000 inspections involving 777 companies in the three sectors over nine weeks between February and April.

The inspections uncovered 2,425 instances where rules were being flouted, said MOM.

Flouting rules on working at height can lead to workers falling from height, which was one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries in 2022, it added.

In 2022, there were 46 workplace deaths – the highest number reported since 2016, when there were 66 deaths.

Of the 46 workplace deaths, eight were because of falls from height, according to the latest MOM Workplace Safety and Health Report, published in April.

Mr Sebastian Tan, MOM’s director of occupational safety and health inspectorate, said the infringements found during the enforcement showed a lack of emphasis on workplace safety and health.

He said companies were not following basic safety precautions like ensuring guarded openings, safe access and egress between working levels, and putting up effective guard rails.

Mr Tan said: “Sloppy implementation of workplace safety measures can put lives at risk and disrupt business operations.”

He added that employers must make the safety of their workers a priority.

Employees, too, must also take ownership of their own safety and call out any unsafe practices, he said.

“MOM will not hesitate to take tough actions against errant companies or individuals who fail to ensure a safe working environment,” he added.