Workplace deaths in construction sector triple to 15 in 2024 H2

A 27-year-old worker from Bangladesh was killed on Dec 8 after a suspected electric shock, continuing a spate of deaths in the construction sector that has seen workplace fatalities triple from five in the first half of 2024 to 15 in the second half.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the man and a co-worker were pulling cables into a distribution board in a riser room when the accident took place.

He was taken to Changi General Hospital, where he died. MOM said his employer was HD Contractor, while the developer of the project is the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Calling the workplace safety and health (WSH) performance of the sector “concerning”, the MOM said in a Facebook post on Dec 13 that many of the deaths were caused by a lack of basic safety measures or non-compliance.

“This points to a sense of complacency and a lack of ownership for workplace safety,” it said.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, MOM said that apart from the death on Dec 8, it is investigating three other recent workplace incidents that had resulted in both fatal and major injuries in the construction sector.

On the morning of Dec 13, a 77-year-old Singaporean man was operating a crawler crane’s boom when a hook block dislodged and struck his left foot.

Images of the accident scene at the North-South Corridor site between Novena Rise and Toa Payoh Rise show a bloodied, grey-haired man with a mangled left foot trying to get out of the crane’s cabin, which was strewn with broken glass.

The injured man is being treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and ST has contacted Samsung C&T Corporation – the occupier of the worksite – for more information.

The Land Transport Authority, which is the developer of the project, said the accident occurred when a mobile crane’s auxiliary hook was undergoing repairs.

It added that investigations are ongoing, and that a safety timeout will be called.

In another incident on Dec 4, a 21-year-old Myanmar national who was working on the roof of a warehouse building died when he fell through a skylight that was about 10m above the ground. He was employed by Zebra Builders, while the occupier of the worksite is LHN Energy Resources.

On Nov 27, a Chinese national, 34, died at Sengkang General Hospital after he became trapped between the operating console of the boom lift he was operating and the underside of the building’s ledge.

The occupier of the worksite – Tiong Seng Contractors – has been ordered to stop all work activities at the site, which is being developed by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The man’s employer was Rong Earn Construction.

ST has contacted the employers involved for more information.

In November, construction firms were strongly encouraged to impose a safety timeout, with an emphasis on three areas of concern, which were gleaned from recent workplace deaths.

These consisted of falling objects that may strike workers, vehicular safety, as well as safe lifting and rigging activities.

In its Facebook post, MOM said it stepped up its enforcement concurrently, and conducted more than 400 inspections in October and November.

As a result, 13 stop-work orders were issued, while firms were fined more than $300,000 in total.

The ministry said the enforcement reinforced its zero-tolerance stance against those who flout WSH regulations, and stressed that there would be serious consequences.

“If the situation does not improve, MOM will not hesitate to take stronger actions against errant companies and individuals to drive stronger ownership of WSH,” it said, adding that the festive season is not an excuse for firms to cut corners to meet project deadlines.

Since early 2024, the authorities have introduced a string of measures to improve workplace safety in the construction sector, including placing greater emphasis on safety when evaluating construction tenders called from April.

In the first half of the year, 19 workers died in work-related accidents, up from 14 in the same period in 2023.

• Additional reporting by Kok Yufeng