PROPOSED MODEL TOWARDS ACHIEVING IMPROVED COMPLIANCE IN WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT: A STUDY ON CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the world's most dangerous sectors. It leads to one of the most, if not the most, deaths at the workplace in Singapore. In order to explain why this is a high-risk sector, a research has been conducted and it was observed that a construction project consists of multiple construction activities, including the use of highly complex and sophisticated operating methods and equipment. In addition, the environment can also subject employees to hazards while at work, thus making the workplace a high-risk sector.

However, it is not a recently learned fact that the construction workspace is dangerous. In reality, building professionals and government agencies in Singapore have all along recognized the risks posed to people at the construction site. However, since 2018, deaths in building projects have risen instead. An article pointed out that construction practitioners are aware of the dangers, as well as the legislation that has been placed in effect. Therefore, there is a need to examine the causes of accidents and non-compliance with the laws set in effect.

In order to understand compliance with the law, there must first be an interpretation of the current legislation, such as the Workplace Safety and Health Act (“WSHA”) and its subsidiary legislation, followed by a review of the reasons of non-compliance with the protection legislation. Although it has been found that there are several studies on construction safety, few studies have proposed strategies for compliance.

As a result, this dissertation is built on the notion of achieving better or absolute compliance through a semi-meta analytical approach to non-compliance and, ultimately, presented a paradigm that could be used alongside a construction project to monitor and assess compliance.