Special Issue 07 iWSH July 2011

On 19 October 2010, Guo and Alagar were working on a scissor lift. As they lowered the lift to start work on the next section, one side of the lift suddenly collapsed, throwing both workers into the air. Fortunately, the safety harnesses they were wearing stopped them from falling onto the steel plate below.

As it turned out, Guo was saved by two pieces of equipment that day: “When we fell, my head struck the wall. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet.” Without his safety helmet, he could have hurt his head badly.

Alagar was worried for his co-worker: “I was relieved when I knew Guo was safe. I then thought of my family and how upset they would be if I were injured or dead,” he said.

Within minutes, their co-workers got them to safety. After undergoing medical checkups and found to be healthy, Guo and Alagar went back to work the next day.

Since the accident, both men have spoken to fellow workers about safety, and use their fall to show how safety equipment can save lives. Both feel lucky to have escaped unhurt, and Guo had one last advice: “Be careful in your work, because you hold the happiness of your family in your hands.”

One minute, Alagar Sivasemy and Guo Qifeng were working in the air at the new Jurong MRT installation, and the next thing they knew, both were swinging dangerously from their safety harnesses and looking down at the thick steel plate below that could have seriously injured or killed them. Like most workers, Alagar and Guo never imagined that an accident could happen to them. Even though they followed all the safety rules at their work site, neither thought the safety harnesses they wear could one day save their lives.

Saved by Safety harneSSeS

In This Issue

Learn how to prevent construction-related accidents.

Pages 3 – 7

WINvouchers and prizes!Take part in our quiz.

You can also take a photo or write to tell us what workplace safety means to you.

Took part in our quiz in iWSH5? Find out if you are one of our lucky  winners.

Page 8

32 workers died in construction sites in 2010. Learn how to keep yourself safe at work.

Find out what motivates two safety supervisors at work.Page 2

nothing iS more important than Safety

He has seen accidents happen when workers do not follow proper safety procedures. In 1999, a worker standing on a shaky scaffold fell 5 metres and broke his leg.

To Mr Cheang, safety is the most important thing at any work site. At a previous company, he saw that many workers carried out their work in an unsafe manner. He then decided to make sure that workers would be properly briefed and taught about safety. This way, there would be less accidents and fatalities at work sites.

Now, he is the chief safety supervisor at Chip Eng Seng, and supervises workers during work. Under his supervision, a site recently achieved one million accident-free man hours.

One reason for Mr Cheang’s success is that he makes sure his workers can look for him anytime if they have questions about safety. “I make sure that the workers I supervise can talk to me if they are worried about work safety. They do not have to be afraid that other workers see them as troublemakers.”

Safety supervisors Francis Cheang Soon Kian and Sim Mong Kheng may have different ways of doing their jobs, but they both put worker safety first.

Mr Sim, winner of the WSH Supervisor Award in 2010, has worked in the safety field since 1995. He has been with Multiheight Scaffolding for seven years, and works at the Chevron work site. He supervises worker safety at the work site, and personally briefs workers on how to avoid hazards.

“Once I check and approve the site, my main goal is to make sure that the workers follow proper safety procedures. After briefing my workers on safety measures, I also ask them to sign a letter to show that they understand what I have said,” Mr Sim shares.

as for mr Cheang, “For me, it is always a good day when 30 workers start work healthy and 30 workers finish work healthy.”

When asked for their final thoughts, each safety supervisor had similar things to say:

iWSH Newsletter Issue 07 Safety Starts With Me2

mr Sim says, “I treat worker safety like each man is my brother, and I want all of us to return to our families safely at the end of the day.”

July 2011 3

Safety StartS With me!In 2010, there was a decrease in the number of deaths in workplaces in all sectors except Construction. Statistics show that out of the 55 workers who died at their workplaces, 32 were from the construction sector.

Although construction is high-risk work, there is a lot that you can do to keep yourself safe.

In the case studies below, each worker would not have died if they had protected themselves and followed safe work procedures.

If you want to go home safe at the end of each work day, you have to start looking out for risks at work, learn from past incidents and make changes to the way you work.

remember: you have the power to keep yourself safe!

1CruShed betWeen objeCtS

Case Study 1Worker crushed between lift car and lift motor roomWhat happened?A worker was installing a cable hangar support in a new building. The hangar support had to be installed on the 16th floor, inside a lift shaft. The worker used the top of the lift car as a work platform to do his work.

He then used a remote control to control the lift car to go to the 16th floor. However, the lift car did not stop when it reached the 16th floor. It went up to the 35th floor and crashed into the bottom of the lift motor room.

The worker was trapped between the lift car and the lift motor room. He was dead by the time SCDF officers got him out.

What more could have been done?• Proper safety checks should be done before starting work. For instance,

checks on the remote control should be made to make sure that it is working properly.

• A safety supervisor should be around to supervise the entire process.

Construction Logistics and transport

Marine Water supply, sewerage and waste management

Manufacturing Other sectors

number of WorkplaCe

fatalitieS by induStry in

2010

4

5

1

7

6

32

2 falling from height

Case Study 3Worker fell through gap in formworkWhat happened?A contractor was erecting formwork when a worker fell through a gap in the formwork. The worker fell 8 metres and died of head injuries.

What caused the accident?• There were no anchorage points for the worker to hook his safety belt.• The work platform did not have edge barriers to prevent him from

falling off the edge.

What should have been done?• There should have been edge barriers at the work area to prevent

workers from falling off edges. • There should have been proper anchorage points for workers to hook

their safety harnesses. • A supervisor should have briefed workers on the correct use of their

personal protective equipment before they started work.

Case Study 2Worker fell nine floors to his death

Case Study 4Worker fell from lorry and died

What happened?A construction worker was plastering the outside wall of an air-conditioning ledge on the 9th floor of a building. The ledge was not secured with safety barriers. He was later found dead on the ground with a restraint belt around his waist.

What more could have been done?• Proper safety checks should be done before starting work. For example,

safety barriers should be put up to prevent workers from falling. • The worker should be briefed on safety measures (e.g., the correct way

of hooking up their restraint belts). • A supervisor should be present to oversee the work process.

What happened?A worker was stacking water barriers at the back of a lorry. After he had finished stacking the first tier, he stood on it to start stacking the second tier. While working, the worker slipped and fell off the lorry. He hit his head on the kerb and later died in the hospital from his injuries.

What more could have been done?• A supervisor should brief the worker on the correct way to carry out

his work.• The worker should stand on a more secure platform to do his work

because the top of the water barriers is narrow and unstable.

Case Study 1Worker fell through roof while installing lifelines

What happened?Two workers were standing on a roof installing lifelines. While carrying out their work, part of the roof suddenly gave way. One worker fell 4.8 metres through the roof and landed on the ground. He died onthe spot.

What caused the accident?• No safe work procedures or risk

assessment was carried out before the workers started work.

• The workers were not properly trained and briefed to do the job.

What should have been done?• The supervisor should have conducted

risk assessment before workers started work.

• The supervisor should have looked for a safe way (e.g., a boom lift) to reach the roof before lifelines are installed.

iWSH Newsletter Issue 07 Safety Starts With Me4

1

2

1. Gap the worker fell through2. Place where the deceased

worker landed

DO NOT use scaffolds without top and/or mid guardrails. Scaffolds must be tagged and certified safe by Scaffold Supervisor before use.

Always maintain three points of contact when climbing a ladder (two hands and one foot or one hand and two feet).DO NOT carry tools in hand when climbing a ladder. Use a tool belt instead.

July 2011 5

tipS forWorking Safely at height

DO NOT place ladders on uneven grounds.Ladders must be secured firmly and properly before use.

Use proper access to climb up or down scaffolds.

Practice good housekeeping. Tripping or slipping may lead to falling from height.

DO NOT sit or lean on guardrails.

Case Study 1Crane toppled and crushed workerWhat happened?A crane operator was operating a crawler crane to lift precast units when the crane suddenly toppled forward. The collapsed crane fell and crushed a worker who was working nearby.

What caused the accident?• The ground beyond the steel plates was soft. It could not support the

weight of the crane and its load.

What should have been done?• The crane operator should have been properly briefed before

starting work. • A lifting supervisor should have been there to ensure that the crane did

not move beyond the steel plates. • The lifting area should have been cordoned off to prevent other workers

from working near the crane.

Case Study 2Worker crushed to death by skid-steer loaderWhat happened?A worker was using a skid-steer loader for drainage work at a park. He was making sure that the loader was working properly when the hydraulic lift arm suddenly dropped on him. His head was trapped between the lift arm and the loader. The worker was killed instantly.

What more could have been done?• Proper safe work procedures should be in place for the operation of the

skid-steer loader.• Workers should be properly trained before they are allowed to

operate machines.

3 Working around maChineS

iWSH Newsletter Issue 07 Safety Starts With Me6

• Always follow safe work procedures.

• Only trained and authorised workers should be allowed to work with machines.

• Do not ignore warning signs.

• Do not rest near machines.

• Do not step into cordoned areas.

• Stay in close contact with your co-workers at all times.

prevention tipS Working around machines

What happened?A worker was standing next to an L-shaped brick wall that was going to be torn down. A mini excavator-breaker was clearing an area near the wall when the entire wall suddenly collapsed. One side of the wall toppled towards the worker and pinned him under it. He later died from his injuries.

What more could have been done?• Checks should be done to make sure that the wall would remain stable

throughout the operation.• The working area should be cordoned off so that workers who are not

involved in the process cannot enter the area.

What happened?A contractor was lifting a 1.2-ton rebar cage with a tower crane. During the operation, the rebar cage slipped off the lifting gear. It then fell and crushed a worker who was working below. The worker died on the spot.

What caused the accident?• The rebar cage was not rigged properly. • The load being lifted might have been too heavy for the tower crane. • The contractor did not cordon off the area where the lifting operation took place.

What should have been done?• The contractor should have made sure that the crane can carry the load safely. • The rebar cage should have been secured to the tower crane using the

approved method. • The lifting area should have been cordoned off to prevent workers from

standing below the load path.

4 StruCk by falling objeCtS

Case Study 1Worker hit by falling rebar cage

Case Study 2Worker killed by collapsed wall

July 2011 7

• Only authorised workers should be allowed in the work area.

• Wear helmet and safety boots at all times.

• Do not kick, throw or push any object off edges.

• Practice good housekeeping. Unused tools and materials should be kept in their respective places.

prevention tipS Struck by falling objects

Do You Know?

take a photo or write to tell us what workplace safety means to you.Three winning letters or photos will be selected. Don’t forget to include your full name, company name, address, contact number and work permit number. Mail your letter to:

The Editor, iWSH 5 Maxwell Road #20-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council was established on 1 April 2008 to raise WSH standards in Singapore. The Council comprises 18 leaders from the major industry sectors, the Government, unions and professionals from the legal, insurance and academic fields.

publisherWorkplace Safety and Health Council

address5 Maxwell Road#20-00 Tower BlockMND ComplexSingapore 069110

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Those interested in subscribing to the iWSH newsletter can write to WSH_iWSH@wshc.sg to be on the mailing list.

Issue 05/2010 Winners

The results for iWSH Quiz in issue 05 are out! Congratulations to all!

1. Venkatachalam Manikandan (xxxxx5700)

2. Govindarasu Kasinathan (Gxxxx506X)

3. M. Punar Selvan (xxxxx5539)

4. Chua Chuan Hoe (Sxxxx013H)

5. Marcus Lee (Sxxxx070G)

6. Muthu Chinniah (Fxxxx207X)

7. Veerappan S/O Palani (xxxxx9619)

All winners will be notified via email or phone.

Winning LetterDear Editor,

Greetings.

I have read the iWSH newsletter and found it very pleasant and clear. The newsletter clearly explained with photographs how to follow safety procedures in the workplace. The articles also explained how accidents happen at workplaces and how to avoid them.

Reading the iWSH newsletter has been very useful for me. If we think about each and everyone’s safety while working, it will be very good for us, our home and our nation.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

r. rajaSCaf link

The author of this winning letter wins $300 in cash.