MOM fines renovation firm for safety lapses that pose 'imminent danger' to its workers
Workers were working on the roof without any protection or barricades to prevent falls from the edge of the roof, said MOM.
SINGAPORE — A renovation firm was fined and told to stop its work at a two-storey shophouse due to safety lapses that the authorities said posed "an imminent danger" to the company's workers.
For instance, workers were working on the roof without any protection or barricades to prevent falls from the edge of the roof, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement on Wednesday (June 28).
The ministry said it fined the company, J & C Renovation Enterprise, S$8,000 and issued the stop-work order after observing several safety lapses at the shophouse in Eng Kong Terrace, in Bukit Timah, during an inspection on June 8.
MOM had received public feedback on unsafe working-at-height carried out on the roof of the shophouse.
"Apart from the unsafe acts and conditions of the worksite, there was also poor management of work activities," the ministry said.
Essential documents on risk assessment, safe work procedures and fall prevention plan, among others, were all unavailable, it added.
Mr Sebastian Tan, the director of occupational safety and health inspectorate at MOM, said it was clear from the inspection that the safety of its workers "was not a priority" for J & C Renovation Enterprise.
"Thankfully, a member of public alerted MOM on an unsafe act at the worksite, and we were able to intervene swiftly and take immediate actions," he said.
"When everyone plays their part in looking out for the safety and health of workers, we can collectively raise Singapore’s workplace safety and health standards and prevent workplace incidents from happening," added Mr Tan.
