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"The last few weeks have been
sad ones for the construction industry. Two major construction site accidents
in the space of 10 days, first at Nicoll Highway, then at Ayer Rajah, caused
the tragic loss of 6 lives.
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"The
industry not only suffered major losses in terms of time lost and damages, but
also a dent in confidence. These incidents remind us that we should never take
construction safety for granted because precious lives are at stake....
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"In the immediate aftermath
of the Nicoll Highway incident, BCA’s engineers inspected the buildings
adjacent to the site to make sure that they were structurally stable and safe.
BCA also ordered a continuation of this inspection and round-the-clock
monitoring of the buildings. Such safety inspections and monitoring were also
extended to buildings near to the other construction sites along the Circle
Line.
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"LTA, in consultation with
BCA, decided to stop work at all the other worksites of the Circle Line, while
BCA conducted an audit on the design and construction methods.
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"In the Ayer Rajah accident,
BCA engineers were also at the scene quickly to assess the safety of the
structures at the work site, as well as to ascertain the safety of nearby
buildings and structures. I commend the quick response and professionalism of
the BCA engineers.
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"Following these two
incidents, there has been much speculation as to their cause.
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"One common comment is that
the public tender evaluation system is flawed, resulting in the award of
projects at unrealistically low prices and contractors having to compromise on
safety measures in order to remain viable. As a Committee of Inquiry has been
appointed to look into the causes of the accident, it would not be proper for
us to speculate at this stage. However, let me take this opportunity to set
out some facts.
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"First, the Government’s
procurement policy for construction works is to award a tender to the
contractor that will give the best value for money in terms of quality and
performance, and not necessarily to the lowest bidder. Between April 2003 and
December 2003, 28% of all public sector construction contracts were not
awarded to the lowest bidder.
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"Second, only contractors who
have been prequalified or registered under the BCA’s Contractors Registry
System (CRS) are allowed to bid for public sector projects. The CRS has
stringent criteria on safety performance and technical competence, as well as
management and financial capability. Contractors without good safety
performance records are therefore barred from tendering for public projects.
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"Finally, for complex
projects, such as airport complexes, MRT lines and hospitals, additional
pre-qualifying criteria are often specified to ensure that only contractors
that are technically and financially competent can undertake such projects.
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"All things being equal,
however, it is prudent to award to the lowest bidder who meets all the
criteria. There must be compelling reasons not to do so, for transparency and
public accountability.
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"Understandably, public
confidence in the construction industry has been affected by the two
incidents.
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"However, we should view these incidents in
perspective. Our construction safety record is good. According to MOM, the
number of fatal construction accidents has dropped, from 72 in 1997 to 31 in
2003. Let us not speculate on the causes. The incidents will be thoroughly
investigated and findings made public in due course. What is important is that
we learn from the incidents and fully incorporate the lessons into our
systems, structures and processes..."
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Source: Singapore Government
Press Release 6 May 2004 (Excerpted)
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Minister Mah speaks on recent construction site accidents
