THE EFFECTS OF THE WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT, 2006 ON SINGAPORE'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect the Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2006 has had on the accident rates in the construction industry and to identify how professionals onsite are dealing with the changes. The hypothesis is to prove that the objectives laid down by the government during the inception of the act are possible due to the reforms in the occupational safety and health framework. Government statistics of accident rates and fatalities due to occupational accidents were analyzed to constitute the quantitative part of this research. Interviews were conducted with a senior safety officer of a large construction firm, with a BCA A1 grading, as part of a case study. It was found that accident rates are following a decreasing trend since 2006 and the act has been well received in terms of interpretation and execution.