Speech at Opening Ceremony of the Construction Safety, Health and Security Campaign 2009

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State, SCAL Multi Purpose Hall, Construction House

Mr Eugene Yong, Deputy Chairman, WSH Council Construction and Landscaping Committee and Chairman, Construction Safety, Health and Security Campaign 2009,

Mr Andrew Khng, President, Singapore Contractors Association Limited

Industry leaders from the construction sector
Distinguished guests, Ladies & Gentlemen

Good Morning

It is my pleasure to join you today at the opening of the 26th Annual Construction Safety, Health and Security Campaign. Let me begin by congratulating the construction industry for continuing its efforts to drive improvement in workplace safety and health in the industry over many decades. The industry had also sent a strong signal of its resolve to establish an accident-free workplace last year, when 20 major developers and contractors signed the “Pledge for Zero – A CEO Commitment Charter”. The Charter outlined their commitment to put in place the governance structures, resources, communication and safety strategies to achieve a zero injury workplace.

2.   While these efforts are commendable, the construction industry still accounted for 40 percent of all workplace fatalities last year. Its 2008 fatality rate of 6.9 per 100,000 employees was almost two and a half times the national rate of 2.8. This year, we have already seen 10 fatalities from the sector, almost half of 25 fatalities seen last year, which suggests that the situation may not improve in 2009. The industry has also seen a number of serious accidents which thankfully did not result in any fatalities or injuries. The collapse of a crane's boom at Ardmore Park in April this year is a recent example.

3.   While the commitment of industry leaders is a critical ingredient for an accident-free workplace, the effective implementation of strategies and processes put in place is equally critical. This requires active participation by all stakeholders – developers, main contractors, senior management, sub-contractors, safety professionals, supervisors, down to workers on the ground. If stakeholders are unable to transform commitment into effective action, our goal of an accident-free workplace will remain elusive. Today, I want to address the role that each stakeholder in the construction industry plays and how they can contribute to an accident-free workplace.

Developers – influencing the behaviour of stakeholders downstream

4.   Let me start with the stakeholders at the top of the construction value chain – the developers. As the project financiers, developers are a powerful influence on the behaviour of stakeholders downstream. They are the ones who appoint the contractors working on the project. Factoring in the WSH performance of contractors into the bid valuation sets an expectation that safety is a standing priority for the project. Developers can also influence behaviour by subsequently creating incentives for the appointed contractors to maintain high WSH standards.

5.   CDL is a good example of a developer that has helped set the tone for safety for all stakeholders involved in CDL developments. It has a deep interest in safety matters at the worksite and takes a hands-on approach to ensuring safety outcomes. Upstream, CDL advocates designs that are safer to build; their designs make extensive use of pre-fabrication and pre-cast components, which minimises the use of labour on site. CDL also places strong emphasis on selecting the right consultants and contractors to work with. Their WSH culture and track record are key considerations for CDL when evaluating tenders.

6.   To ensure safety at the building stage, CDL conducts quarterly inspections and audits, and grades contractors on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Those who achieve safety excellence stand to receive monetary rewards as specified in the contract. Those who do not perform to the minimum WSH standards may not be considered for future projects. Exemplary contractors are recognised by being awarded the CDL EHS Excellence Award. Following each quarterly audit, CDL also conducts a seminar to facilitate peer learning and information sharing between its contractors.

7.   The Ministry of Manpower and the WSH Council have developed a number of initiatives to help developers address safety issues at the upstream stage. First, the WSH Council, working in partnership with the various stakeholders, is introducing a “Design for Safety” certification mark, to distinguish designs that have incorporated safety considerations at the planning stage. Developers whose projects have designs that have been certified with the “Design for Safety” mark will be assured that their development will be safe to build, safe to maintain and safe to demolish. Another initiative is the Construction Safety Audit Scoring System, or ConSASS, co-developed by MOM and the WSH Council, which helps developers in their selection of contractors. ConSASS provides an assessment of a contractor's WSH management system at a worksite. The higher the ConSASS score, the stronger the contractor in safety management. We are currently reviewing ConSASS to ensure it remains relevant to industry. With the review and enhancement of ConSASS, we hope to see more contractors subscribe to it, and make their workplace safety and health capability a competitive advantage. We would like developers to employ it when assessing bidding contractors so that their projects can be carried out safely and with minimal disruption due to accidents.

Contractors – ensuring safety through close supervision and coordination

8.   The next group of stakeholders are the contractors. Close supervision and coordination of work between the multiple contractors and other stakeholders present at a worksite is vital in ensuring safety outcomes. The main contractor's role in establishing WSH systems at the worksite is particularly critical. This can be seen in a construction accident on 20 July last year¹. A worker died after a fall from an inclined roof to the ground at a house undergoing construction works. His employer was an electrical subcontractor tasked to install a lightning conductor on the roof. Neither his employer nor the main contractor took measures to prevent this accident. The main contractor did not implement a WSH management system that covered proper management of subcontractors, such as ensuring that safe work procedures were in place. The subcontractor, in turn, did not implement fall protection measures such as lifelines or fall preventive barricades. All these factors contributed to the accident.

9.   To ensure that sub-contractors – many of whom are SMEs – are equipped to work safely, we will continue to push for more SMEs to take part in BizSAFE. BizSAFE will help build their risk management capabilities, to accurately identify the WSH hazards faced by their workers and to implement measures to eliminate or mitigate these risks. Our target is to have all contractors registered with BCA and the Singapore List of Trade Subcontractors (SLOTS) certified at BizSAFE level 3 within 3 years. At level 3, such contractors would have in place a comprehensive risk management system that is regularly reviewed to ensure it keeps apace with the changing nature of the work at the construction site.

10.   Our target is an ambitious one; currently, less than 10 percent of small and medium contractors have attained BizSAFE level 3 or higher. But I believe that this is an important and attainable goal to work towards. If we are serious about raising safety outcomes in the construction sector, all contractors should be equipped with risk management capabilities. The WSH Council is rolling out a series of incentives to encourage more small and medium contractors to come on board BizSAFE. In April, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong announced that the co-funding quantums and the maximum cap for funding under the Risk Management Assistance Fund, or RMAF, would be raised. SME contractors can use the RMAF to fund up to 90 percent of the cost – up to a cap of $6,000 – to defray the cost of engaging consultants to build in-house risk management capabilities. Next, the WSH Council has also linked up with the American International Group, or AIG, to provide reduced premiums for work injury compensation insurance, to companies that have attained BizSAFE level 3 and above. The Council is currently exploring similar tie ups with other insurance firms. Thirdly, the Council is encouraging developers and larger contractors in the construction sector to sign up as BizSAFE partners, so that their SME sub-contractors can come on board the programme.

Employees – taking personal responsibility for safety

11.   The third group of stakeholders are the employees. The Government and employers have a responsibility to ensure that employees receive adequate training and instruction to carry out their work safely. The WSH Council is developing construction trade-specific WSQ courses for workers, starting with courses for cranes operators as well as electrical, plumbing and pipe-fitting works. These courses will enhance the skills and competency of these trades and complement the compulsory Construction Safety Orientation Course. We aim to roll out these courses and those of other trades within the next three years.

12.   Meanwhile, the WSH Council, MOM and WDA had launched the WSH Professionals Workforce Skills Qualifications or WSQ framework last year. It equips our safety professionals with the right skills and capabilities to manage workplace safety. We aim to grow the pool of WSH professionals to over 19,000 by 2018. Over 700 WSH professionals have gone for such courses to date and we will see the first batch of WSH coordinators graduate today. In years to come, I hope to see many more individuals join their ranks.

13.   All the upstream measures I have mentioned thus far – enhanced training, design for safety, risk assessment and putting in place risk control measures – will not bear fruit if workers on the ground do not take safety measures seriously. All too often, MOM inspectors find workers cutting corners on safety in the name of convenience, inattention or indifference. We see workers working at heights with their safety harnesses improperly secured or even attached only to themselves! In one accident where the crane toppled due to overloading, the lifting supervisor and two crane operators signed a lifting checklist even though the weight and working radius of the load were wrong. They did not bother to check the weight of the load, the crane capacity or verify the working radius of the crane. These are all basic issues which stem not from insufficient training, but the lack of a safety mindset and attitude of the workers involved.

14.   We must find ways to convince these workers that safety – not just their own safety, but that of those around them – is their personal responsibility. But I believe that a key factor that will contribute to a change in their attitudes will be when managers – from the CEO of the company to the worker's supervisor – show that they are serious about safety. They need to drill this message in repeatedly. Workers must also be evaluated not only based on their speed and efficiency but also how safely they carry out their work. In order to reduce fatality in the workplace, discipline is required to internalise the safety mindset.

The Government – forging a strong partnership with industry

15.   Last but not least, let me touch on the role of the Government in ensuring safety outcomes. I had earlier mentioned a number of initiatives and programmes that the Government is rolling out or enhancing to improve safety standards. But perhaps the most significant is how the role of the Government in safety has evolved in recent years. Before, the Government took the lead in all aspects of WSH from capability building to industry outreach. Today, the Government sees itself as a partner of industry in ensuring safety outcomes. In many areas, industry drives safety efforts. Even in areas where the Government continues to lead – such as policy making – we consult industry partners such as WSH Council and SCAL on the practical approach to adopt. MOM looks forward to building on these close partnerships forged with industry on WSH.

Conclusion

16.   Let me end off by reiterating my appreciation to the construction industry for its commitment to safety and more importantly, their willingness to demonstrate this commitment tangibly. In April, we announced that the WSH Council would be releasing a draft sectoral plan for the construction industry. Under this plan, the industry has committed to halving its fatality rate to 3.5 per 100,000 workers by 2013 and eventually to less than 1.8 by 2018. This target is on par with the world's best safety and health records. To illustrate, the United Kingdom, known for its strong safety standards, has a construction fatality rate of 3.4 per 100,000 employees currently. Our target will certainly help us to place our construction industry amongst the world's best in WSH. The sectoral plan will build on this strong industry commitment to have an accident-free workplace. It will outline interventions to address key safety challenges facing the industry and more importantly, how these interventions can be implemented effectively.

17.   The case for workplace safety goes beyond business considerations such as lost work days, reputational considerations and the like. The theme of this year's Construction Safety Campaign – “Work Safe, Home Safe” – says this best. Workplace safety is about lives, about enabling workers to stay safe and to return home safe to their families and loved ones. I wish everyone here a safe year ahead. Thank you.