SINGAPORE: A company director was sentenced on Nov 24 to 22 weeks’ jail over multiple safety lapses at a worksite, resulting in severe injury to a construction worker who was left bedbound and non-communicative.
As the sole director of building construction company Ossis, Denny Nasution Chng was responsible for developing and implementing a sound workplace safety and health framework for all worksite activities, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a news release on Thursday (Dec 7).
“Not only did he fail to carry out any form of risk assessment, he also did not have in place any fall prevention measures for works carried out on a roof canopy,” the ministry said.
“His flagrant disregard for workplace safety and health practices resulted in severe injury to a worker.”
The injured worker was deployed with another to perform refinishing works at a worksite under the direction of Ossis, as part of the company’s labour supply agreement with Fortrust Construction & Consultant.
The scope of the works included plastering and painting of cracks on the wall adjacent to a roof canopy. This roof canopy was installed at a height of about 3.5m above the first floor.
On Mar 4, 2021, the two workers accessed the roof canopy through a window from the second-floor bedroom and began applying white plaster to the cracks along the wall.
They completed the plastering at about 2pm, and halted work temporarily to wait for it to dry.
At about 3pm, the injured worker asked his co-worker to buy some items from a nearby supermarket. About 15 minutes later, the co-worker returned to find him lying face-down on the first floor.
The man was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury with multiple intracranial haemorrhage. He remains bedbound and non-communicative.
MOM investigations revealed that Ossis flouted several workplace safety rules.
The company failed to identify hazards relating to the refinishing works and evaluate the safety and health risks posed to employees.
It did not implement measures such as safe work procedures to control the risks that employees are exposed to when carrying out the work activity.
Ossis also did not provide effective travel restraint for employees to be anchored to at all times when carrying out the work activity on the roof canopy or ensure that employees had adequate instruction, information and supervision for them to perform the work activity at height.
Chng was sentenced to 22 weeks’ jail under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
The ministry said that in the first half of 2023, 86 per cent of fatal injuries and 65 per cent of major injuries were due to smaller-scale construction works, such as additions and alterations, renovation and facilities management.
“MOM takes a serious view of errant employers who put the lives of others at risk, and will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible for the wrongdoing.”
Source: CNA
