SMRT to tighten tender requirements for contractors to boost safety

SINGAPORE - SMRT will hold its contractors to higher safety requirements as it rolls out several new initiatives to strengthen its workplace safety standards.

The public transport operator said on Friday that it will review and enhance its safety considerations when evaluating tenders and contracts – a move that is aligned with the

Government’s plan to introduce more stringent safety requirements

for public sector construction tenders.

Some of the new requirements that the authorities will implement include a minimum safety weightage for tender evaluation and giving bonus points during evaluation to firms with good safety performance.

SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said the move is meant to encourage both current and potential contractors to make safety a top priority, adding that the ultimate aim is to have zero accidents.

The transport operator outsources work to more than 100 companies.

Mr Seah was speaking at the company’s inaugural Contractors’ Safety Forum, which was held at Orchid Country Club and attended by more than 200 participants.

The plan is for this safety forum to be conducted annually so that industry leaders, contractors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can share best practices, exchange knowledge and address key safety issues and challenges, SMRT said. It is part of a broader initiative that SMRT calls a “community of practice”, where it holds regular engagements with contractors, such as quarterly safety dialogues.

Mr Seah noted that this structured approach will also enhance the safety and reliability of the company’s train and bus services.

He added: “Contractors and OEMs are integral to our ecosystem and success. SMRT is committed to partnering (them) to continuously improve the safety and health of all who work in our premises and networks.”

Other plans by SMRT include expanding its internal reporting system to include a channel for contractors to report safety incidents or share concerns.

Workers will be able to use an online reporting form that can be accessed through QR codes placed prominently around the SMRT’s work premises. This is in addition to an existing safety hotline that SMRT already operates.

The company will also start giving out safety awards to contractors in 2024.

Speaking at Friday’s forum, Mr William Tan, who chairs SMRT’s board safety and security committee, noted: “The aviation, nuclear, and oil and gas industries have far higher safety standards than us. I would like to encourage all of us… to learn and adopt these standards, develop mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance… and adopt a common platform to audit (safety standards).”

Mr Francis Pan, general manager at Lim Kim Hai Electric, said he felt encouraged by the commitment to safety shown by SMRT’s senior leadership.

His company is currently supplying and installing electric vehicle chargers for ChargEco, a joint venture between SMRT subsidiary Strides Mobility and electricity supplier YTL PowerSeraya.

Mr Pan cited an example of how SMRT’s safety committee went down to the ground to assess the safety risks before installation of the chargers began. “The procedure took a bit more time, but it is for the good of our workers,” he said.

Mr Ganeash Ramalengam, Singapore site managing director at rail systems manufacturer Alstom, said his company is proud to be working together with SMRT towards a common goal of safety.

“SMRT’s inaugural Contractors’ Safety Forum provides an important opportunity for us to exchange best practices in safety that will contribute to elevating Singapore’s safety standards,” he added.

SMRT’s annual workplace injury rate, which is calculated based on the number of cases of workers being put on light duty or at least a day of medical leave, stood at 518 cases per 100,000 workers in March 2023 – the lowest in seven years.

In comparison, the average workplace injury rate for the larger logistics and transport sector in 2022 was 1,126 cases per 100,000 workers.

Despite this, SMRT has had several serious worksite accidents in recent years. Most recently, in June 2021, a technician employed by its subsidiary Strides Automotive Services was killed after

being crushed by a minibus that he was repairing

. A coroner’s inquiry later found that the accident was avoidable, as the worker did not adhere to standard operating procedures and had

used unapproved jacks to lift the vehicle

.