THE Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) has commenced its investigation into the accident involving the gantry crane component collapse at the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) construction site on March 22.
In a media statement, DOSH expects the comprehensive probe to be completed in a month’s time.
The probe will include an observation of the site of the accident, the collecting of testimonies from witnesses, and a forensic engineering investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
The relevant legal action will be taken once the comprehensive investigation has been concluded.
The Section 15 and 17 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 stipulates that it is the duty of employers to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all their workers during work, and even the public at workplaces under their control.
If found guilty, the maximum penalty under both sections carry a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or two years imprisonment or both.
DOSH further noted that the stop-work order on the accident site will only be rescinded once the project owner (highway concessionaire) takes comprehensive correctional and precautionary measures to avoid further incidents in the future.
In 2020, DOSH conducted 14,786 occupational safety and health checks at construction sectors. From its inspection, 5,117 notices, and 404 compounds were issued, while 73 cases were brought to court with a penalty in excess of RM1.7 mil imposed.
According to DOSH, it takes all workplace accidents – whether involving workers or the general public – seriously.
Employers, it reiterates, have total control over every activity-related risk at the workplace and have to analyse and carry out effective risk mitigation before the commencement of work.
“This is to reduce the safety risk borne by workers and members of the public and to avoid accidents,” DOSH pointed out.
Last Monday (March 22), three workers from China were killed while a Malaysian driver was seriously injured after one of the gantry crane components at the SUKE construction site fell and crushed a moving vehicle.
Prior to that, two women were crushed to death after parts of a flyover still under construction at SUKE collapsed onto their van on March 3. Three other van occupants, two men and one more woman, survived with injuries. – March 25, 2021
Editor’s Note: Another concrete block has fallen onto the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) along the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) during the morning rush today.
However, the block was not from the SUKE project but fell off a lorry that was transporting it, the highway concessionaire said.
