23 October 2020, Ref: 2021062

Ten workplace fatalities since June 2020; companies urged to remain vigilant

Since the lifting of the Circuit Breaker on 2 June 2020, there have been 10 workplace fatalities across a range of industries. Several serious accidents have also occurred recently; such as a construction site fire which injured 8 workers, a fire in the train tunnel between Orchard and Somerset stations which injured 2 workers, and a construction worker who injured his leg while on a crane 40m in the air.

In his visit to the Jurong Lake Gardens worksite on 22 October 2020, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, Zaqy Mohamad, reminded businesses not to rush to start their operations to make up for lost time, especially when it comes at the expense of workplace safety and health (WSH). He was at the worksite to observe good WSH practices and Safe Management Measures implemented by Kuan Aik Hong Construction Pte Ltd.

The WSH Council urges all stakeholders to continue to be vigilant and take time to take care of safety and health at work. Companies are encouraged to do more to ensure a safe restart of work activities as more workers return to their workplace, such as:

• Reviewing risk assessment, safety protocols and risk controls;
• Ensuring equipment is in good working condition;
• Providing refresher training to help workers adjust back to work after a period
   of inactivity; and
• Making sure that workers are fit and healthy to return to work.

Mr John Ng, Chairman of the WSH Council, says, “It is sad that these accidents
happened. They could have been easily prevented if pro-active steps were taken to put in place the necessary safety and health measures. As businesses resume, I urge every employer, worker and all stakeholders to go back to the basics of WSH, carry out risk assessments and do the needful to mitigate all risks and hazards at the workplace for a safe restart. Every worker deserves to return home safe and healthy at the end of each day.”

Get a head start in knowing your state of health at the workplace, and learn how to manage and improve your health to be safe at work here.
 

Help your workers stay safe and healthy while at work; download WSH Training materials.

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