Stop-Work order issued in the aftermath of construction fiasco

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Ministry of Development will tighten safety regulations at construction sites. The measure is taken after nine workers were injured during an incident at the Kuala Belait Science College, Brudirect reported.

In an interview with state-owned broadcast Radio Television Brunei (RTB), the Minister of Development said the incident happened when primary beam came down.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi Hj Osman took a closer look the site.

He was accompanied by a number of officials from the Planning and Research Section of Development, and the Safety and Health at Work Place of the Labour Department.

The delegation also visited the injured workers who were admitted to the Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in Kuala Belait. Quick action of the government agencies managed to secure the situation.

“At the moment there is not much we can say as investigations are still ongoing” the minister told the local media.

In response to whether violations of any kind had been identified, he said “There are none. The workers were doing light work which involved tidying up to prepare for the next day of work. They had ensured there was enough lighting to safely carry out their duties”.

With regard to the death of a worker (not related to yesterday’s accident) who had fallen from the first of a nearby building (also under construction and part of the same project) several days ago, the minister said, “The safety harness the worker was attached to came off when he fell. Safety measures need to be taken so incidents like this would not happen in the future”

A statement released by the Department of Labour reads: The Department of Labour as the Custodian of the Workplace, Safety and Health Order 2009 would like to highlight its concern on safety and health issues at the workplace to protect the rights of everyone in the workplace.

It added, based on discussions with the investigating team – comprising personnel from the Department of Labour, Ministry of Home Affairs; Occupational Health Division, Health Services Department; and Public Works Department, Ministry of Development – the construction site was found to be unsafe for workers.

As a result, the Department of Labour has issued a stop-work order with immediate effect to the principal contractor of the Maktab Sains Kuala Belait project until it is deemed safe and without risk to everyone and its surroundings.

By virtue of Section 21 of the Workplace Safety and Health Order 2009, the Commissioner of Workplace Safety and Health can issue stop-work order in the event a workplace is deemed unsafe, or a person who has contravened any duty imposed by this order and / or any person who poses or is likely to pose a risk to the safety, health and welfare of persons at work.

Ronald Guilang, a supervisor who was on duty on the night of the incident, told the media a commotion had occurred at the construction site around 1930 hours. Part of the area which was supposed to be the entrance to a multi-purpose hall had collapsed to the ground, injuring five Indonesian and four Bangladeshi workers. The ambulance was contacted immediately, he said.

An excavator was immediately put into use to remove the collapsed reinforced concrete debris that had trapped some of the victims. Fellow workers residing nearby quickly removed the injured men, who have been working with the company for a few years, transporting them to the site office which was far safer.