Speech by Minister for Transport Mr S Iswaran at the 24th LTA Annual Safety, Health and Environmental Award Convention

Friends of the industry,
Friends and colleagues from the Land Transport Authority and other government agencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

1.     A very good morning to all of you. Very happy to see so many people here in person after a hiatus because of the pandemic. Welcome to LTA’s 24th Annual Safety, Health, and Environmental Award Convention. This year’s convention recognises, as it does every year, contractors and partners who have excelled in implementing safety, health, and environmental practices, which are essential to the world-class land transport system we have built together here in Singapore.

Workplace Safety and Health

Progress Towards Zero Accident

2.     First, I want to thank LTA and all the contractor partners, who have been vigilant on workplace health and safety. In 2021, LTA and its contractors had a Workplace Injury Rate of about 117 per 100,000 workers. This compares favourably to the national number for the construction industry, which is 673.

3.     But even as we acknowledge this, it is essential that we do not lose sight of the Zero Accident vision. Every preventable injury is one too many. As our economy reopens and activities ramp up, amidst the pent-up demand over the last few years, there has been a nation-wide increase in fatal workplace injuries. As PM Lee Hsien Loong observed earlier this year, these numbers are simply far too many. That is why earlier this month, the Ministry of Manpower introduced new heightened safety measures which include a requirement for companies in higherrisk sectors such as construction to conduct a mandatory safety timeout. I would like to urge all our partners here to take this opportunity to review and reinforce your safety procedures and step up efforts to improve workplace safety practices.

Dengue Prevention Efforts in 2022

4.     Thanks to the joint efforts of industry partners, the worst of COVID-19 is now behind us, but there is another public health challenge that we have to guard against – that is Dengue. In response to this year’s severe dengue outbreak, LTA has launched the BOLD initiative – Backfill, Organise, Look, Dispose – at all worksites, to require all workers to do vector control checks 15 minutes before the end of their work shifts. I want to commend all our contractors for intensifying their vector control measures, to protect our workers and the community. These measures have proven effective – more than 80 Stop Work Orders have been issued by NEA this year but none of them were at LTA construction sites. Dengue prevention is our collective responsibility and we must each play our part in this fight.

Innovation

5.     Even as we consolidate our achievements, it is important that we also start looking ahead, which is why this year’s theme is “Innovation and Sustainability for Safety, Health, and Environment Excellence”.

6.     Let me start with innovation. I am pleased that our contractors have been adopting innovative solutions to build up their capabilities and improve site productivity. Let me share some examples.

7.     One area is the use of digital tools for training and monitoring. Our Jurong Region Line contractors use Building Information Modelling (BIM) to virtually demonstrate the construction sequence of engineering works to their workers. The vivid illustrations help workers to visualise and comprehend the potential dangers associated with the works they are about to embark on, and this awareness makes their work safer.

8.     Within LTA, our North South Corridor project team has deployed a Centralised Monitoring Platform equipped with Video Analytics, which consolidates and processes “live” imaging data to identify safety non-compliances on site.

9.     Another area of innovation is using engineering control and new practices to create safer work environments. One example is the use of an installation tool for rebar lapping. This eliminates the risk of hand and finger injury for workers. Another use of this is in pre-cast Reinforced Concrete Shells to construct pile caps, or foundations, over a waterbody. Compared to conventional methods, this method eliminates hazards such as vibration and hot works, and reduces environmental impact.

Culture

10.    Beyond these innovative practices and solutions that many of us have put in place, the most important aspect is perhaps, workplace safety culture, and that is something that needs to permeate the entire organisation - from the board and the Chief Executive Officer through to supervisors and our workers. I am heartened to hear that contractors have been encouraging the reporting of Near Misses, and workers are more proactively reporting them and giving feedback on safety or health concerns during daily toolbox meetings and Safety Timeouts. I would like to urge all of you to continue to invest in building this culture, addressing these concerns, and encouraging all workers to continue to look out for one another and to send a strong signal that safety is a top priority for all of us.

Focus on Sustainability

11.    Let me finally turn to sustainability. I am sure all of us agree on the urgent need for climate action. That is why earlier this year, we announced a target to reduce land transport emissions by 80% by mid-century, from the 2016 peak.

Recognising sustainable efforts by contractors

12.    In this context, LTA is committed to drive sustainability efforts across the entire lifecycle of each of our projects.

13.    One aspect is to ensure that contractors’ sustainability efforts are well recognised. Since the start of this year, LTA has incorporated sustainability as part of the tender evaluation process, to encourage Contractors to propose and adopt green innovations, designs, and technology in their projects. The evaluation process will be further fine-tuned to include contractors’ past sustainability efforts from previous projects, as well as their green credentials.

14.    I am happy to learn that many of you have been exploring technologies and novel work methods in environmental protection, to embrace the circular economy and to reduce emissions. These include extensive tapping of renewable solar energy for on-site offices and equipment, as well as adopting recycled materials for construction. The Fan Dust Filter, for example, which can be created using reused steel materials, improves the ambient air quality at construction sites. Another example is the installation of independent air-conditioning systems on cranes, which allows operators to turn off the main engine while keeping the cabin cool, thereby cutting fuel consumption and noise emissions.

15.    LTA has consolidated these examples into a pictorial guide, titled ‘Guidebook for Sustainable Practices at LTA Sites’, which was launched earlier this year, to share these sustainable practices with the rest of the industry and let us all take this opportunity to learn from each other and build on these best practices.

16.    Finally, in conjunction with Singapore’s Climate Action Week 2022 next week, LTA is organising its own Environmental Sustainability Week to rally our Contractors and staff to make collective climate action, a reality. We look forward to seeing more of your sustainability initiatives then.

Conclusion

17.    If I may conclude, a safe, healthy, and sustainable work environment is something that is of high priority and should be top of mind for all of us. But it depends critically on the commitment and effort of all stakeholders, from the very top – Company Board, top management to middle management, all the way to the rank-and-file workers. I want to thank each and every one of you for your efforts and for contributing towards Safety, Health, and Environmental excellence. I want to also congratulate all the winners of this year’s awards. Your achievements have demonstrated dedication and commitment and are excellent examples for all to emulate. It is key that we do not let up on this. In other words, the commitment must be an ongoing one and one that we commit resources and attention to. I wish all of you a very fruitful day ahead. Thank you very much.