construction accident updates and case studies

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great Workplace

Construction Accident Updates and Case Construction Accident Updates and Case StudiesStudies

19 August 2015

OSH Inspectorate

OSHD, MOM

A Great Workforce A Great Workplace

1


OverviewOverview

�Safety Performance of

Construction Industry

�Bad Practices

© 2015 Government of Singapore 2

�Case Studies

�Learning Points


18%18%

Fatal Injuries*

40

50

60 5659

54

33


18%18%Decrease in Fatal

Injuries (Con)in 2014 compared to 2013

0

10

20

30

40

2012 2013 2014

26

33

27 Singapore

Construction

*Excluding workrelated trafficaccidents


27%27%

FFH Fatal Injuries

10

12

14

14 14

109

11

8


27%27%Decrease in FFH Fatal

Injuries (Con)in 2014 compared to 2013

0

2

4

6

8

10

2012 2013 2014

98

Singapore

Construction


Safety Performance of SingaporeSafety Performance of Singapore

14

45

2013

FFH

Others

14

42

2012

FFH

Others


Number of Fatal Injuries*

10

44

2014

FFH

Others

4542

*Excluding work

related traffic

accidents


Construction Fatality Rate Remains the Highest Among all the Sectors in 2014

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

Workplace Fatal Injury Rate (per

100,000 employed persons)

Include work-related

traffic accidents


7

2011 2012 2013 2014

Construction 5.51 5.94 7.16 5.50

Marine 9.42 5.64 2.73 3.75

Manufacturing 3.11 2.80 1.63 1.40

Others 0.96 0.68 1.58 0.99

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00


Construction Industry Accounts for the Significant

Share of the Fatal Injuries

Include work-related traffic accidents

16%13%

10% 9%

21%

12%

80%

90%

100%

Percentage of Workplace Fatal Injuries

Others

Wholesale & Retail Trade

© 2015 Government of Singapore 8 8

36%

46% 47% 45%

16%

11%4% 7%

21%

21%

10% 10%

15%20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

2011 2012 2013 2014

Retail Trade

Transportation & Storage

Manufacturing

Marine

Construction

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great Workplace2014 in Review2014 in ReviewContraventions BreakdownContraventions Breakdown

Main Issues for Issuance of SWO

• Scaffolds

• Open Sides

Access & Egress

• Scaffolds

• Open Sides

Access & Egress• Access & Egress

• Formwork Activities

• Material Storage & Housekeeping

• Access & Egress


SCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDS

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceSCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDSCommon ContraventionsCommon Contraventions


Description of Accident

• On the day of accident, the Deceased

was assisting two co-workers to

dismantle the timber formwork at the 2nd

storey internal lift shaft core-wall.

• They were standing on a work platform of

a scaffold erected within the lift core-wall.

SCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDSCase StudyCase Study


• In the process, the Deceased was

believed to have fallen through a gap

between the edge of the work platform

and the lift core-wall.

• The Deceased landed inside the lift pit

and was pronounced dead by attending

paramedics.


Initial position ofthe Deceased Formwork being

dismantled

600mm600mm

SCAFFOLDSSCAFFOLDSCase StudyCase Study


600mm600mm

Deceased could have fallenfrom either openings


Open SideOpen SideOpen SideOpen Side

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceOPEN SIDEOPEN SIDECommon ContraventionsCommon Contraventions

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceOpen SideOpen SideCommon ContraventionsCommon Contraventions



Description of Accident

• The Deceased and 5 other co-workers were

installing the steel reinforcement bars (rebars)

for a roof reinforced concrete (RC) beam of a 2-

storey detached house.

• This RC beam was located at an edge of the

OPEN SIDEOPEN SIDECase StudyCase Study


• This RC beam was located at an edge of the

roof. The Deceased while handling one end of a

rebar tripped and fell over the edge of the roof

platform and landed on the ground about 9.8m

down.

• The Deceased was conveyed by the

ambulance to the National University Hospital

where he succumbed to his injuries.


860mm

590mm

450mm

OPEN SIDEOPEN SIDECase StudyCase Study


-200mm gap

-450mm diagonal

gap

Deceased was working

on the rebars450mm

200mm


Access & Access &

EgressEgressEgressEgress

A Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceA Great Workforce A Great WorkplaceAccess & EgressAccess & EgressCommon ContraventionsCommon Contraventions


Learning PointsLearning Points

�Costs of accidents & poor WSH

management

�Tangible vs. non-tangible



Learning PointsLearning Points



Demerit Points SystemDemerit Points System

• Issued to main or sub-contractors for breaches

under WSHA and relevant subsidiary legislations

• Single stage DPS where DP is issued based on

severity of offences committed




Type of Incident Number of Demerit Points

Composition fines1 DP per fine, from the 4th fine

onwards

Stop Work Order (Partial) 5

Stop Work Order (Full) 10


Prosecution action taken for accident that led to serious

injuries to any person18

Prosecution action taken for dangerous occurrence

(potential for multiple fatalities)18

Prosecution action taken for accident that led to death

of one person25

Prosecution action taken for accident that led to death

of more than one person 50



Phase

Demerit Points

accumulated

within 18-

month period

Allowed to hire

new workers

Allowed to

renew existing

workers

Duration of

debarment

1 25 to 49 No Yes 3 months


2 50 to 74 No Yes 6 months

3 75 to 99 No Yes 1 year

4 100 to 124 No Yes 2 years

5 125 and above No No 2 years


Business Under Surveillance (BUS) ProgrammeBusiness Under Surveillance (BUS) Programme

• Helps poor performing companies to improve their

WSH performance

• Potential BUS “passengers”:

� Had fatal accidents

� Demonstrated poor WSH mgmt such as SWO


� Accumulated DP

• Expects frequent inspections


IMPACTS TO BUSINESS DUE TO IMPACTS TO BUSINESS DUE TO

ACCIDENTS & POOR WSH MGMTACCIDENTS & POOR WSH MGMT

Tangible Non-Tangible

• Time

• Manpower

• Reputation

• Business opportunities


• Manpower

• Close monitoring

• Business opportunities

• Profitability


Accidents do not affect the Accidents do not affect the injured alone....injured alone....

It affects the loved It affects the loved

ones tooones too

And also the And also the

organisationorganisation


organisationorganisation



Thank You for

your attention

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