More than 300 enforcement actions have been taken against errant employers for vehicular safety infringements since June, Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan revealed on Thursday (Sept 14).
Vehicular accidents have been the No. 1 cause of workplace fatalities for the past three years, with 22 workers hit and killed by moving vehicles last year.
“In the first half of this year, there were 379 injuries and seven fatalities caused by vehicle-related incidents,” added Mr Tan.
He was speaking at the launch of the Drive Safe, Work Safe campaign, at NatSteel’s premises in Jurong West.
The campaign is an initiative by the Workplace Safety and Health Council to highlight the importance of preventing vehicular accidents.
It encourages companies to get their senior management to inspect worksites for potential vehicular hazards, as well as conduct briefings to highlight potential workplace traffic risks to workers.
A lack of proper traffic planning practices is the main area of concern when it comes to vehicular safety, Mr Tan said.
He added that greater emphasis needs to be placed on increasing awareness of safety issues such as blind spots and designing workplaces to better facilitate good traffic management.
The Manpower Ministry will also be introducing the Managing Onsite Vehicular Safety programme this month, to help companies “better manage risks involving the movement and operation of vehicles within their premises”.
The programme will see consultants assessing work premises and helping companies develop and implement onsite traffic safety management plans for free.
Technology can also be used to reduce human errors that lead to accidents, said Mr Tan.
For example, Bok Seng Logistics has introduced a system in its vehicles that triggers an alert and causes the seat to vibrate should the driver fall asleep.
“We can all prevent vehicular accidents if we take active steps to address vehicular risks and spread the message to all around us,” said Mr Tan.
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