Never compromise on safety at worksites

THE latest incident where a driver and his passenger were seriously injured when a metal beam fell on the car they were travelling in at the worksite of the LRT expansion project along Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang near Wisma Glomac is far too serious to be dismissed as just another accident.

Fortunately the victims escaped death but despite this, the fact that another accident had happened at the worksite of the LRT extension project is clearly unacceptable as far as the contractor’s responsibility towards safety is concerned.

This is not the first accident of its kind at the worksite of the LRT expansion project and it will not be the last unless the contractor concerned is fully committed to safety.

Two previous accidents had occurred at the LRT worksites, one in March last year where a steel pile crashed on a car leaving one dead and one injured.

In August last year, another incident occurred when the boom of a crane crashed on a car parked nearby.

The question that beckons is what has the LRT operator and its contractors done to prevent more accidents at the worksite.

How serious and how committed are the LRT operator and its contractors towards not only work safety but also the safety of the public.

After each accident, statements were issued by the LRT management assuring the public of its concern and priority for safety.

Assurances alone will not mean anything if accidents continue to occur and the lives of the innocent public who pass through their construction sites daily are at stake.

The public are getting very jittery and nervous each time they pass through the various construction sites.

The time has come for the LRT operator to have a complete and thorough revamp of all its safety ma­nagement systems and operations of their worksites.

They must be reminded that efforts to expedite the construction work must not be at the expense of the public and work safety.

What about the contractors appointed by the LRT operator. How competent and committed are these contractors towards safety at the worksite?

These questions must be answered and the public must not be given empty assurances.

What is the role of safety officers and safety supervisors at the worksite? Are they doing enough to ensure public safety and also that of their workers at site?

This latest incident necessitates a stop work order pending a full investigation to be carried out.

Those who are found to be negligent must be held responsible and action be taken against them in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

Let this latest incident be a lesson to other contractors working at public transport construction sites, that safety must never be compromised.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE

Kuala Lumpur