SINGAPORE – The number of workers who died as a result of a fall from height declined from 24 in 2009, when it was the top cause of fatal industrial accidents, to eight last year.

Minister of State for Manpower and National Development Zaqy Mohamad said on Thursday (Nov 14) that after 2009, the Government coordinated with industry partners to introduce initiatives to raise awareness, train workers, and put up deterrence measures.

The Manpower Ministry (MOM) also conducted more inspections. In September, four stop-work orders were issued after 300 inspections were conducted on 250 companies.

Following these inspections, 548 enforcement actions were meted out to punish work safety oversights, such as the failure to ensure platforms on scaffolds had toe-boards and sufficient guardrails. These included 80 fines totalling $91,000, said Mr Zaqy.

While things have improved, there have been four deaths recorded to date this year.

“We need to do more… MOM’s efforts alone will not be enough.

“The industry also needs to take greater responsibility in protecting our workers and be mindful in managing works at height,” said Mr Zaqy, who was speaking at the Work at Height Symposium held at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East.

He added that a second round of inspections are planned for February next year.

Addressing 500 industry partners and students of ITE pursuing construction-related courses, Mr Zaqy said a fall from height remains a “leading cause of injuries”.

“Falling from height has been a perennial workplace safety and health concern.

“This annual event not only reminds all of us of the dangers of working at height, but is also an important platform to share and explore innovative ideas to improve our outcomes on this front,” Mr Zaqy said.

Of the four who died from a fall from height this year, two were in construction, one was in manufacturing and the last was classified as “others”.

A key theme at the symposium – which was also introduced to address the issue – was the adoption of technology to perform high-risk tasks.

Local company CYC International, for instance, was commended by Mr Zaqy for its adoption of a cleaning robot that nullified the need for workers to erect scaffolds to reach the sides of high structures.

The robot, which CYC learnt about in Europe and then repurposed to its needs, can reach as high as 30m “easily”, said CYC managing director Danny Chua.

“The workers were really excited about the technology, and even told me to buy more. I also have an elderly worker who was really fascinated by the robot.

“Having been in the industry for so many years, he, of all people, knew that the robot is a game changer,” said Mr Chua.

By harnessing technology, CYC reduced the manpower requirements from 15 to four workers, saved about $150,000 and halved the time taken for a project from more than three months to six weeks. These savings included the elimination of the need for workers to set up and dismantle scaffolds during their day-to-day work.

At the symposium, ITE College East showcased its new Workplace Safety and Health Centre, which includes facilities like virtual reality sets and a mock scaffolding for students to gain hands-on experience.

The institution already has a similar centre in its College West, which was opened in 2016.

The College West centre has trained nearly 4,000 of its students pursuing courses in engineering and the applied and health sciences to be aware of and be able to handle work-at-height safety.

Muhammad Harith Mohd Noor, a 17-year-old mechanical engineering student at ITE, said the new facilities allow him to hit the ground running during his internships, as he would not have to be sent for or even pay for work-at-height certifications before starting a job.

“We were shown videos in class to understand the seriousness of injuries (from a fall from height) so it’s always on my mind.

“I’m now more familiar with safety protocols to ensure that my colleagues and I stay safe during operations,” he said.

Dr Yek Tiew Ming, principal of ITE College East, said the aim is to train and certify all 1,000 of its students pursuing related courses every year.

“We have been working with the Workplace Safety and Health Council quite regularly as we understand the importance of this issue. This is something that’s very dear to us,” he said.

Keynote speaker Lim Peng Hong said intelligent design can also help address the issue.

The managing director of engineering firm PH Consulting said measures to protect workers should be included in buildings as early as the designing stage, with these taking into account how the structure can be subsequently maintained, cleaned, or even decommissioned in a low-risk manner.

“We have to address these risks at the source, through the use of design,” he said.

“This is so risks can be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, at no disproportionate cost to stakeholders.”

Mr Zaqy noted that a more comprehensive approach needs to be taken, since the risk of falling increased if a worker did not feel well. An elderly worker could faint while performing his job at height, which would be disastrous, he said.

“With an ageing workforce and longer life expectancies, it is imperative that our workers remain safe and healthy so that they can continue effectively and productively.”

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