Following the accident, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stopped all work on the worksite in order to investigate the cause of the collapse. Investigations are still on-going to determine what caused the structural failure. Both the main contractor Kimly Construction and the crane supplier Rango Machinery are assisting in the investigations, the Ministry of Manpower said.
The Ministry has also announced it has started checks on similar tower cranes in Singapore. “We will also conduct spot checks on other types of tower cranes,” it said. Companies found to have contravened safety and health laws are liable to be prosecuted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act which carries a maximum fine of SGD 500,000 (EUR 236,000).
The Ministry has also issued an alert to construction companies to inspect immediately their cranes before using them. “The collapse of an entire tower crane, as seen in this case, is rare. The last known case in Singapore involving such an incident was in 1997 where wrong parts were used to erect the crane,” it said.
It goes on to say that contractors in Singapore are responsible to ensure:
• Cranes are erected, altered or dismantled only by approved contractors and trained erectors;
• The method of erection or dismantling must be done in accordance to the manufacturer’s instructions or manual;
• Cranes must be thoroughly examined and tested by an Authorised Examiner (Professional Engineer) before use and be subjected to an annual statutory inspection by an Authorised Examiner Person during use;
• Cranes must be operated by qualified crane operators who are registered with MOM;
• All lifting operations are supervised by competent and trained lifting supervisors with the assistance of trained riggers and signalmen.
