April 2011 3rd Issue

2

Each year, HDB presents the prestigious HDB Construction Safety Award to honour contractors for achieving outstanding safety performance.

For Price Quality Method (PQM) tenders called from 1st Mar 2011, the HDB Construction Safety Award will form part of the Safety Attribute in the PQM tender evaluation. The Award will be accorded a maximum of 10% under the Safety Attribute.

New Safety Weightage under PQM

For latest info on PQM, please refer to www.hdb.gov.sgHDB Construction Safety AwardHDB Construction Safety Award

Er Goh Keng CheongHead (Construction Safety & Quality Audit)HDB

“ The inclusion of Construction Safety Award in the Price Quality Method tender evaluation is to incentivise contractors to improve on their safety performance and strive towards safety excellence.”

In December 2010, an external system formwork collapsed during the formwork dismantling process at one of the HDB construction worksites. The incident resulted in one death.

Falls from heights are the main cause of deaths in the workplace. We need to be constantly alert and take immediate action to identify the hazards and assess the risks associated with the works at height.

Safety control measures involving the construction, erection, alteration or dismantling of the system formwork need to be first put in place before the work commences.

System formwork after collapse

A typical external system formwork

Recommendations:

1. Conduct Risk Assessment and Establish Safe Working Procedures:

A risk assessment must be carried out by experienced and competent persons. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers before starting any work.

2. Conduct Safety Briefing:

Employers should ensure briefing to be conducted to the workers on the safety aspect of working on the system formwork prior to the commencement of work. This includes an effective fall protection plan (FPP) for any work that may subject workers to the risk of falling from height. The safety briefing must be clearly communicated to all levels of personnel.

3. Ensure Proper Control and Supervision:

Employers should ensure that the supervisor is present and ensure that the workers adhere to the established safe working procedures, e.g. by ensuring that all control measures and the components of the system formwork are in placed before work commenced.

Hoisting of system formwork

External anchorage point

In October 2010, M/s Chip Eng Seng Contractor Pte Ltd (CES) celebrated their 1st one million accident free man-hours at Punggol West Contract 25.

Joining them for this significant safety milestone is their Executive Deputy Chairman, Mr Lim Tiang Chuan of the Chip Eng Seng Group. He participated in their Mass Toolbox Meeting and gave away safety rewards to the best safety supervisors and workers.

Mr Lim Tiang Chuan presented safety rewards to best safety supervisors and workers

Article by Mr Koh Keow Beng of M/s Chip Eng Seng

“CES has a very strong safety culture. All the site staff at Punggol West C25 adopt the best safety practices and are committed to zero accident.”Mr Raymond TanHead (Project Development & Management Unit 2)HDB

Training on safe installation of external platform

Punggol West C25 project team with Executive Deputy Chairman of Chip Eng Seng, Mr Lim Tiang Chuan (seated 4th from right)

In this project, efforts spent on promoting Chip Eng Seng’s safety culture and inculcating safety mindset of project team’s members by top management started simultaneously, which aims to complete the project with the following objectives:

Zero accidentVisible safety cultureStrong team cohesivenessOn time delivery of projectZero MOM demerit pointZero client’s demerit point

In October 2010, the CES Project Management Team achieved the One Million Accident Free Man-hours at Punggol West C25. They aim to achieve Two Millions Accident Free Man-hours in May 2011.

Article by Mr Koh Keow Beng of M/s Chip Eng Seng

Explanation of Safety Posters using common languages

Training for new workers on Safe Work Procedures

“ We emphasize on good safety practices on site and inculcate safety values to all stakeholders.”

Last year HDB safety promotion campaign saw strong support from more than 150 Building and Upgrading worksites participated in the month long campaign.

Throughout the campaign, all the contractors scheduled a period of at least a week to promote worksite safety to workers and site supervisors via activities such as safety talks, educational video clips, sharing by safety champions,display of educational banners and safety slogans.

Demonstration on use of Protection Equipment

Er Sng Meng Liang Head (Building Construction Management Unit 2)HDB

Conventional method of bakau pile installation

All Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduceAll Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of HDB.d in any form without the written consent of HDB.

Editorial Team:Editorial Team:

ErEr GohGoh KengKeng Cheong Alan Law Sean Leo Eng Boon KaiCheong Alan Law Sean Leo Eng Boon Kai

Advisor:Advisor:

ErEr Ng Yew SongNg Yew Song

Safety Guide for Bakau Pile

Conventionally, bakau piles are driven into the ground by means of excavator bucket with the worker manually holding the pile.

This method of construction poses safety hazard as the worker holding the pile is exposed to being hit by the excavator bucket during the course of installation.

To overcome the hazard, M/s Straits Construction came out with an innovative idea that uses a pipe sleeve to guide the bakau piles firmly while being installed into the ground.

Bakau pile installed using safety guide

“ We are proud that this innovation has won the WSH Innovation Award 2010.”Mr Kenneth Loo, GM Straits Construction