7 stop-work orders, $360k in fines issued over safety lapses at work sites in 2025: MOM
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The Ministry of Manpower said smaller construction sites account for over 60 per cent of serious injuries in the sector.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE – Seven stop-work orders and fines totalling more than $360,000 were issued in the first two months of 2025 as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducted a series of safety inspections at smaller construction sites.
The ministry said in a Facebook post on March 28 that it inspected more than 335 sites in January and February and found over 800 instances of workplace safety violations.
Smaller construction sites account for more than 60 per cent of serious injuries in the sector, MOM said.
Across industries, there were 587 major injuries reported in 2024, a marginal decrease from 590 in 2023, based on the latest yearly workplace safety and health figures
Major injuries are severe non-fatal injuries, including amputations, blindness and paralysis.
The number of such injuries in the construction sector dipped by 2 per cent in 2024 compared with 2023.
But workplace deaths in Singapore rose to 43 in 2024, from 36 in 2023, with 20 fatalities in the construction sector.
In its March 28 post, MOM cited Kinbo Construction as a recipient of a stop-work order.
The company was issued the order on Feb 25 for its work site at 104B Coronation Road West, according to a list of such orders posted on MOM’s website.
Online checks show the address as one half of a pair of linked bungalows currently under construction.
Among several lapses at the work site, MOM noted that electrical wires were not properly insulated, exposing workers to the risk of electrocution.
There were also several safety lapses that could result in falls from height, including access paths to work areas that lacked guard rails or barriers.
MOM said: “Workplace safety is non-negotiable. Contractors must put in place proper safety measures regardless of the scale of their construction, and workers should follow safety protocols.”
