Number of workers killed in vehicular incidents at workplaces set to be lower than last year

Minister of State for Manpower and National Development Zaqy Mohamad with Allied Container Services managing director Lim Kian Chin during a visit to the Allied Container Group premises in Tuas. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

SINGAPORE - The number of workers killed in vehicular-related incidents at the workplace this year is on track to be lower than last year, with five recorded as at the end of October.

The number is two fewer than that recorded for the whole of last year.

Enforcement efforts by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) along with better management of vehicular-related risks by business have helped to bring the number of fatalities down, said Minister of State for Manpower and National Development Zaqy Mohamad on Monday (Nov 18).

"We've seen the number of incidents for fatalities drop from 24 in 2013, down to seven last year in 2018. We are currently at five for this year, so we hope that it still remains that way. Every fatality is one death too many," he told reporters during a visit to the Allied Container Group premises in Tuas.

He added that vehicular incidents were the top cause of workplace fatalities from 2013 to 2017. It fell to second place last year, replaced by fall from heights.

Mr Zaqy also said that MOM has "gone stronger on enforcement" this year. It carried out special operations last month to identify and take action on companies that contravene regulations.

A total of 240 companies in industries where traffic hazards are common, such as transport and storage and wholesale trade, were inspected.

Action was taken against 160 companies, including fines, stop work orders and notices of non-compliance. Common regulatory breaches included failing to implement a proper traffic management plan and maintain the vehicles used in the workplace.

"Next year, we are putting up another round of special operations for enforcement in March. So the efforts will continue," said Mr Zaqy.

Apart from enforcement, there are also engagement efforts between the government and the industry players, to manage vehicular-related risks.

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council's logistics and transport committee will organise the Annual WSH Forum for Logistics and Transport Sector next year.

A new series of educational materials to promote proper access and exit from heavy vehicle cabins will also be produced to promote best practices and technologies for forklift and warehouse safety.

"What we've done is to really work with the industry, to partner them and organise forums and campaigns to create greater awareness and share best practices. Also, to educate workers in terms of the safety aspects, and also work with companies like Allied Container for example, to implement technologies and see what are the best practices we can learn from," said Mr Zaqy.

He said that funding support is available for companies looking to create new innovative solutions, through the WSH Tech Challenge, a competition for firms to develop new solutions that will significantly reduce the number of work-related vehicular fatalities.

He said that an area to explore could be how WSH Council and Enterprise Singapore could collaborate more closely, for companies and industries that are transforming to tap some of the productivity solutions grants.

On Monday, Allied Container Services showcased its initiatives to improve vehicular safety, including an Auto Quicklock System.

Prime mover driver Selva De Roy demonstrating the Auto Quicklock System. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The system is the first of its kind in Singapore, enabling a container to be properly locked onto a trailer - all with a switch from within the cabin.

This means that drivers no longer have to alight and physically check if containers are properly locked, removing the need for them to walk in operational areas like ports and container depots.

The Auto Quicklock System is currently installed on one trailer in the company's fleet of 300 trailers, and will be rolled out to the rest in the next two years.

The managing director of Allied Container Services, Mr Lim Kian Chin, said that each lock costs about $150, and a trailer can have between four to 12 locks depending on its configuration. The older type of locks could cost as low as $25 each.

Mr Lim said that cost might prove a barrier for the adoption of such vehicular safety features by small companies.

"I think this is going to be expensive for small companies to apply, but we want to change the way things are working." he said.

"So if there is some financial assistance, I'm sure the smaller people will want to come in," he added.

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