Japanese Building Firm Bags Award For Worksite Safety

Source : The Strait Times, 27 August 07

NOT a single major accident, sinkhole or stop-work order over four years. That is the safety record of Japanese construction firm Taisei.

Last week, the company was awarded the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Contractor Challenge Shield for safe worksite practices.

The award was for its Circle Line contract 853, to build the Marymount station and tunnel.

Taisei also won the authority's inaugural Construction Environmental Excellence Award for achievements such as keeping the construction area totally free of dengue breeding sites during the recent dengue outbreak.

The awards, given out at LTA's annual safety award convention, were based on site visits by a panel of judges as well as an oral presentation.

Taisei encourages all workers to report unsafe work practices and conditions by setting up a 24-hour hotline.

The company also regularly conducts emergency exercises and drills.

Taisei's head of safety, health and environment, Mr T. Suresh Kumar, said: 'The company's top management sets a high bar for safe work practices, and that percolates down to all the staff.'

The convention's safety theme this year - 'heavy lifting operations' - focused on areas such as preventing cranes from toppling.

Over the past decade, there have been 28 cases of cranes toppling in LTA worksites, due to mechanical failure and human error.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Transport Lim Hwee Hua also announced a new biennial award to recognise individuals and organisations that contribute to the land transport industry.

The Land Transport Excellence Awards will recognise areas such as provision of land transport services and best use of technology in land transport systems.

Individuals can be nominated too. Nominations open next month until Oct 12. The awards will be given out next February.