The contractor, Poh Lian Construction Pte Ltd, was charged and fined $20,000 in Court on 30 August 2002 for an offence under the Factories Act. The company pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching safety laws after a construction worker lost two phalanges of his left index finger when his hand came into contact with the cutting blade of a reinforcement bar-cutting machine. The Factories Act (Cap 104) requires all dangerous parts of machinery to be securely guarded to prevent accidents.

The accident took place on 31 March 2002 at Poh Lian Construction Pte Ltd’s worksite at Sengkang Neighbourhood 4, Contract 6 project where there was ongoing construction of several blocks of HDB flats. It was established that the reinforcement bar-cutting machine, used to cut steel bars to the required lengths, was not securely guarded to prevent accidental contact with the machine’s blade.

The Ministry urges contractors to take all the necessary measures to prevent accidents at worksites. The Ministry will not hesitate to take stern action, including imposing stop work orders and heavy fines, against contractors found flouting safety regulations.

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