11.11.2014

Singapore tightens crane inspection

In Singapore the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has taken action against 79 companies following ‘Operation Goldcrest’, a special enforcement operation that it carried out in July and August this year.

The enforcement operation targeted the construction industry, with a focus on unsafe lifting practices and crane operations. A total of 80 work sites were inspected by MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Division, and 194 crane-related contraventions of the Workplace Safety and Health Act were uncovered.

Of these contraventions, 98 resulted in fines of more than $95,000. The other contraventions generated 96 Notices of Non-Compliance warning against unsafe lifting practices. MOM has also instructed the companies involved to address the findings of inspections and says that it will monitor these efforts closely.

The top five contraventions uncovered included:
1) Failure to maintain cranes in good working condition - 44 incidents, most of which related to non-functioning safety devices, damaged or kinked wire ropes and problems with hook safety latches.
2) Failure to establish and implement a proper lifting plan. These ranged from no plan at all to those with no sketch or details of the load and radius etc...
3) Using defective lifting gear or lifting gear that had not been inspected by an authorised examiner. These included lack of safety laches on slinks, kinked cables and corroded chain sets.
4) Failure to implement a proper Permit-To-Work system.
5) No indication of the safe working load and lifting machine number on the lifting machine.

MOM commissioner Ho SiongHin said: “The crane industry’s practices remain a serious concern. Besides the safe deployment of cranes, crane owners and occupiers have the responsibility to ensure that their cranes and lifting operations do not endanger workers or the public. MOM will take stern action against errant crane companies and occupiers. All occupiers and crane owners ought to put in place robust maintenance regimes and safety systems so that we can put an end to unsafe lifting operations.”