22% rise in accidents at LTA worksites in first 8 months of 2023: Chee Hong Tat

SINGAPORE – There has been a rise in workplace accidents at Land Transport Authority (LTA) sites in the first eight months of 2023, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Tuesday in the aftermath of two fatalities last week.

Speaking at LTA’s yearly safety, health and environmental award convention at the Singapore Expo, Mr Chee noted that there were 33 workplace accidents at LTA sites between January and August.

This is 22 per cent higher than the 27 accidents at such sites in the same period in 2022.

There were no deaths at LTA worksites in the first eight months of 2023.

When contacted, LTA said accident figures so far for September were unavailable.

But there were two reported fatalities last week.

Last Friday, a

45-year-old construction worker died

in an accident on the Pan-Island Expressway towards Tuas.

The Indian national was performing traffic controller duties for road surfacing works when a motorcycle crashed into him.

The 29-year-old motorcyclist also died.

On Saturday, another accident at a North-South Corridor worksite in Cavenagh Road led to the

death of a 41-year-old construction worker.

A pallet of gas cylinders, which toppled during a lifting operation, struck the Bangladeshi worker.

The Straits Times earlier reported that the worker who died on Saturday was an employee of a subcontractor under Leighton-Yongnam Joint Venture (LYJV), the occupier of the worksite.

LYJV is a joint venture between Leighton Asia, a construction contractor, and steel construction and civil engineering company Yongnam Holdings.

In response to ST’s queries, LTA said LYJV had withdrawn from Tuesday’s convention after the fatal accident at its worksite.

The Ministry of Manpower is investigating both accidents.

Urging vigilance and stronger safety practices, Mr Chee said he was saddened by the recent deaths.

He added that LTA would carry out a thorough investigation and review of both accidents to determine any areas for improvement.

“Whenever an accident occurs, it is important to understand why it happened and identify what steps we need to take, to prevent a recurrence,” he said.

On ensuring workplace safety, Mr Chee said the focus was on a three-pronged approach of open reporting, investing in safety training and tools, and collaboration among various parties.

First, workplaces should develop a strong culture of open reporting not just about incidents but also near misses.

With such a culture, supervisors and workers are empowered to call out safety lapses and suggest improvements, said Mr Chee.

He cited the upskilling of workers as the second aspect of this approach, as technological aids allow workers to better understand the potential hazards they may encounter.

Third, a close partnership between the Government, industry and unions is critical, Mr Chee added.

Across all sectors, there have been at least 18 workplace deaths so far in 2023.

Separately, Mr Chee also urged construction companies to do their part for the environment and contribute to Singapore’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

This is achieved when greenhouse gas emissions are brought as close to zero as possible by balancing man-made emissions with removals from the atmosphere.

At Tuesday’s convention, 42 organisations received awards for their workplace safety, health and environmental management practices.

Among them was Santarli-Zheng Keng Joint Venture, which was recognised for an innovative solution to improve workplace safety.

It installed artificial intelligence cameras on telescopic handlers – machines used to transport materials around a worksite – to detect blind spots.