31 companies & individuals caught for poor crane safety practices

SINGAPORE: 31 companies and individuals have been fined due to poor safety practices in lifting operations at worksites involving cranes.

Each was fined between S$200 and S$6,200.

Five were ordered to stop work.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday that they were nabbed in "Operation Hornbill", the first major enforcement exercise since the Workplace Safety and Health (Operation of Cranes) Regulations were enacted in September 2011.

It was conducted over three months by MOM’s Occupational Safety & Health Division (OSHD), covering areas such as the size of the load, communication by the lifting team, as well as ground conditions and obstacles.

MOM said the majority failed to maintain the cranes in good working order and did not have proper plans for lifting operations.

Many were also caught for using a defective lifting gear, as well as using a crane which had not been examined and certified by an authorised examiner.

MOM expressed concern with the increased number of crane accidents, which have been on the rise since 2007.

There were three crane—related fatalities in the first half of 2012, compared with two in the same period in 2011.

MOM said many of the accidents arose from insufficient planning, failure to follow procedures and unsafe acts.

It will continue to step up enforcement operations, while continuing with efforts to engage and educate stakeholders such as employers and industry.

— CNA/xq