New Mobile Cranes to be equipped with Data Loggers from 1 August 2015

1. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced that from 1 August 2015, all new mobile cranes used in workplaces will have to be equipped with data loggers. Existing registered mobile cranes will have up till 1 August 2018 to be retrofitted with data loggers.
   
   55 companies taken to task for unsafe crane & lifting operations
2. Between 19 January and 9 March this year, there was a string of seven crane-related incidents. While there had been no serious injuries, these incidents highlighted the potential catastrophic impact crane incidents could have on the safety of workers and the public. To deter irresponsible companies who continue to disregard safe lifting practices and to determine the extent of crane safety at worksites, MOM launched an enforcement operation between 16 March and 2 April targeting unsafe crane and lifting operations¹.
3. MOM’s inspections uncovered 147 crane-related Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act contraventions. 236 fines and Notices of Non-Compliance (NNC) were issued to 55 errant companies. Two worksites were also ordered to stop all work for more than ten days to rectify safety lapses. (Results of the operation in Annex A)
4. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Director of MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate said, “The most common crane-related WSH contraventions uncovered in this operation include failure to maintain cranes and lifting gears in good working condition and failure to ensure that adequate safety measures are taken to operate cranes at the workplace. These should have been addressed through daily checks on the functionality of the worksite’s cranes and their safety devices, and the effective implementation of lifting plans. MOM will not hesitate to take action against errant occupiers who fail to ensure that their cranes and lifting operations do not endanger workers and the public.” (More information on common contraventions in Annex B)
   
   Mandatory equipping of mobile cranes with data loggers
5. To improve crane and lifting practices, MOM will require all mobile cranes used in workplaces to be equipped with data loggers. This follows a two-year study by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Crane Safety Taskforce and crane industry partners on the use of data loggers in mobile cranes for accident prevention. A successful four-month long pilot was also completed in 2014. The mandatory equipping of mobile cranes with data loggers will be implemented in two phases:
   
   • From 1 August 2015, all new mobile cranes registered with MOM will have to be equipped with data loggers; and
   
   • Existing registered mobile cranes, including those registered before 1 August 2015, have to be retrofitted with data loggers by 1 August 2018.
   
   A data logger will record data on the crane’s operations, including the weight of the load lifted, the lifting radius and whether safety devices of the crane have been activated or bypassed.
6. To support this requirement, WSH Council will launch a new co-funding scheme to defray the cost of retrofitting existing mobile cranes with data loggers. Crane owners can apply for a funding of up to 50% of the cost, capped at a maximum of $5,000 per crane. (More information on the requirement for data loggers and the co-funding scheme can be found in Annex C).
   
   Reporting unsafe workplace practices
7. MOM will continue to carry out regular worksite safety inspections. Members of the public can report unsafe practices via MOM safety hotline at 6317 1111 or email mom_oshd@mom.gov.sg. All tip-offs will be kept strictly confidential.