COMMUNICATION IS KEY
The authorities said employers should maintain communication with contractors to ensure readiness – something Mr Shawal stressed as well.
“Sometimes, workers feel they are subdued. They say, they are afraid to even speak up for just a bit of a sound, or maybe there’s a bit of lightning and potential thunder. Now, are they free enough to have the mechanism to inform their supervisors or other stakeholders?” he questioned.
“I think this is where we need to improve, because the workers may have seen similar traits the day before, two days before, but they take it as they will just punch through.”
This information will come in handy in figuring out if work can continue for that week, said Mr Shawal.
Another consultant said contractors should conduct regular third-party inspections on gondolas to protect workers, while workers should be trained in emergency rescue operations.
“Any contractors who want to do any high-risk activities, especially using gondolas – I do think that thorough inspection is very important, especially for façade work,” said Mr Ng Yao Ming, a workplace safety and health manager at Assure Safety.
MOM said that in 2024, it conducted more than 17,000 inspections, with a focus on higher-risk industries such as construction, manufacturing and marine.
