SINGAPORE – A tile distributor and a waste recycling firm were ordered to stop work and fined after multiple safety breaches were found on their premises.
The tile company, Soon Bee Huat Trading, was fined $15,000, and recycling firm DA Engineering was fined $8,000, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a Facebook post on Monday.
Soon Bee Huat Trading’s stop-work order lasted from June 24 to Oct 4, while DA Engineering’s lasted from Aug 17 to Sept 28.
The breaches included unauthorised personnel operating heavy machinery, unguarded machines, overloaded storage racks and lack of proper housekeeping, said MOM.
The two cases are the latest in a string of enforcement operations publicised by MOM amid a six-month heightened safety period aimed at stemming a spike in workplace deaths.
The number of workplace deaths in 2022 stands at 39, with the latest one on Sunday, when a 54-year-old SBS Transit driver died after his vehicle crashed into a tree.
The 2022 figure has already exceeded the total tally of 37 for the whole of 2021.
At Soon Bee Huat Trading, an inspection on June 23 found a worker who was not authorised to operate a forklift doing so without wearing a seatbelt or safety shoes.
Forklifts can be operated only by someone with a licence and proper training, said MOM.
The operator should also attend refresher training once every three years to keep abreast of safety requirements and operational knowledge, MOM added.
Goods at the firm were found to be stored on self-fabricated storage racks, beyond the racks’ load capacity.
Storing goods beyond the load capacity of storage racks could result in the racks collapsing and injuring workers, said MOM.
MOM added that the racks were rusty and in poor condition.
It said storage racks must be properly maintained to prevent the load capacity from being compromised.
Wooden crates were stacked such that they were at risk of toppling and other items were stored in a haphazard manner that could cause obstructions, said MOM.
Multiple unsafe conditions were found at Soon Bee Huat Trading Pte Ltd on 23 June 2022 and DA Engineering Pte Ltd on 16…
At waste recycling firm DA Engineering, an inspection on Aug 16 found that the rotating chains of a crusher machine were exposed.
As a result, workers risk being cut and getting crushed and entangled by the machine, said MOM.
A machine’s moving parts should be isolated using guards to reduce the risks of accidental contact, it added.
The ministry said debris also obstructed the pathway leading to the machine operator’s panel, making it inaccessible.
The cable of a welding machine was frayed and loose, which could cause electric shocks and fires.
Before starting operations, workers should check for damaged wires and replace them before use, MOM advised.
The ministry also posted a photo depicting the wrong kind of clamp for a gas hose, which could cause gas leaks.
Spokesmen for both firms declined comment when contacted.
The ministry also shared comments on the incidents from Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad.
He said: “With the launch of the Code of Practice on Chief Executives and Board of Directors’ WSH (workplace safety and health) Duties, we want safety culture and workplaces to be led by company leadership.
“They must take greater ownership of workplace safety, and be held accountable for poor conditions or practices.”
He added that workers must keep up to date with the latest safety developments and follow safety procedures too.
Anyone who comes across any unsafe workplace practices should report them to MOM, he said, adding: “Safety must be everyone’s priority, every single day.”
MOM said the public can go to mom.gov.sg/report-wsh-issues or call 6438-5122 to report unsafe work practices.
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MCI (P) 076/10/2022, MCI (P) 077/10/2022. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.