25 Jul 2012, 3.33PM
Original thread created on 18 Jul 2012, 4pm
Structure Collapse at Downtown Line Construction
Latest update on the worksite accident at the Downtown MRT Line Bugis Station this morning that had left two workers dead and eight injured:
MOM has instructed all work to cease on-site. Their preliminary findings show that workers were pouring concrete into the formwork when the formwork collapsed. BCA has assessed the incident to be 'localised' and that it posed 'no structural safety concerns' to surrounding buildings.
Earlier on, the LTA said that the station structure is substantially complete and structurally sound, and that the incident poses no risk to surrounding developments and the public. 'LTA engineers are checking similar scaffolding structures at all our worksites to ensure they are safe,' said the LTA spokesperson.
Updated on 20 Jul 2012
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has reported that the deceased workers were checking the partially built structure for leaks when the scaffolding collapsed. However, it is unclear if the workers were intended to be under the roof at that point of construction when the cement was poured into the mould.
LTA, in response to The Straits Times’ queries, noted that all design of works is checked and endorsed by the Qualified Person (Supervision) hired by LTA. However, the contractor is responsible for employing the professional engineer in charge of designing the scaffolding system and mould for casting the roof slab.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be investigating the collapse of the supporting structures. Under the Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Act, the workers’ families could be entitled to between $57,000 and $170,000. A team of prominent Singapore bloggers has collaborated with Transient Workers Count Too to organise a donation drive for the victims.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has offered his condolences to the workers’ families in the light of the worksite accident. He posted on his Facebook Page that the accident should not have happened, and commended the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers’ on their bravery.
Read the Straits Times article
"LTA: Dead men were checking for leaks"
And view PM Lee's comments on his
Facebook Page
Updated on 25 Jul 2012
The Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) has released a statement saying that there was no need for the workers to be under the scaffolding which collapsed in the 18 July Bugis Downtown Line incident. The workers were reportedly checking for leaks when the structure collapsed.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also agreed with the IES that all workers should keep clear of the formwork, unless it is incidental to the concreting work in progress. Contractors however maintain that it is a common practice for workers to be under the formwork while concrete is being poured in, although Singapore Contractors Association President Ho Nyok Yong said that workers should not be directly under the spot being cast and should maintain a safe distance.
Although the Workplace Safety and Health Act requires the formwork and support structure to be able to hold at least twice the weight of the concrete being poured in, there are no standards in measuring the strength of the scaffolding supporting the formwork. This requirement is also not widely practised in the industry.
In the case of the DTL incident, a senior industry player that the Straits Times spoke to indicated that the scaffolding that collapsed was designed to bear only 1.2 times the weight of the concrete.
Read the article ‘
Workers didn't need to be under roof, says engineers' group’.