Stiffer building rules, penalties doubled
THREE years after the Nicoll Highway collapse, laws to tighten safety standards at work sites have been approved by Parliament.
Many of the changes to the amended Building Control Act were based on recommendations by the Joint Review Committee on Construction Safety, set up in the aftermath of the April 2004 disaster.
The accident, which occurred during tunnelling work on the Circle Line MRT, killed four men. Calling it a “wake-up call for the industry”, Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said yesterday: “The observation that the incident could have been avoided was most regretful.”
Key amendments included new regulations for temporary earth-retaining structures, the licensing of builders and the mandatory appointment of site supervision teams. Ms Fu said such measures are aimed at “(strengthening) the building control regulatory framework to uplift the professionalism, standards of safety and quality” in construction.
Temporary earth-retaining structures — the type that failed in the Nicoll Highway incident, noted Ms Fu — will be treated like permanent works, and specialist engineers must be roped in to design, construct and review them.
Specialist engineers will also be required for underground building works. These included all excavations deeper than 6m, tunnelling works of more than 2m in diameter, and prescribed foundation works for buildings taller than 30 storeys.
Penalties for contravening the Act were also doubled. For example, a person may now be jailed for two years and/or fined $200,000 for conducting construction work without a permit.
But Ms Lee Bee Wah, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, urged the Government to do the opposite and “abolish the jail term totally”.
Ms Lee, a qualified Professional Engineer, said many people have concerns about working in the construction industry.
“Enhancing jail terms will send a wrong and negative signal to those who may harbour any ambitions to be an engineer,” she argued.
Ms Fu said the authorities had to ensure the severity of offences and penalties were “consummate with one another”.
Hong Kong, California and New York have similar jail sentences for building safety offences.
Rather than dissuading people from joining the industry, she said such deterrent penalties would help “weed out the black sheep” and “increase the trust society has in the profession”.
The construction industry contributes to 4 per cent of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product, and is expected to “expand strongly” with demand projected to reach up to $22 billion this year.
Ms Fu said the Building and Construction Authority would continue to work closely with stakeholders, adding: “The proposed amendments will not only enhance building and control safety, but also develop the industry to greater heights.”
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