They're Not Cargo

The following letter was published in TODAY on 21 August 2009.

THEY'RE NOT CARGO
Letter from Stephanie Chok
05:55 AM Aug 21, 2009

I REFER to "Greater safety in phases" (Aug 19).

It is important that worker safety is emphasised. However, the new measures do not recognise that humans are being transported on the cargo decks of lorries - spaces meant for cargo, not people.

Modifying spaces not meant for transporting humans is not innovation to be welcomed - it is an attempt to be "cost-effective".

Most of us travel to and from work by buses, taxis, MRT, private buses or cars. These are modes of transport designed for people. How then can we, with a clear conscience, designate hundreds of others to sit on cargo decks as if they were goods, often squashed between mounds of equipment?

Fitting in railings and canopies do not transform a goods vehicle into a passenger vehicle. People sitting on cargo decks could still sustain injuries if they are flung against one another or to the back of the lorry.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Teo Ser Luck has said in Parliament that safety is paramount. If safety is the chief concern, why is the option of carrying workers in passenger vehicles not considered?

A colleague from Germany commented that seeing workers being transported like cargo on goods vehicles is shocking and does not fit in with Singapore's international reputation.

High safety standards may cost more but it is the socially-responsible thing to do. In other developed countries, it would be unthinkable to see workers transported like this.

It is one thing for a person to choose to work in a dangerous job, quite another for them to be exposed to daily risks and physical discomforts, with no choice in the matter.

Safer? Workers shouldn't be on lorries at all

The following letter was published in the Straits Times Forum on 20 August 2009.

Safer? Workers shouldn't be on lorries at all

I REFER to yesterday's report, 'Workers on lorries get more protection'. I am deeply disappointed with this decision to keep transporting workers on the cargo decks of goods vehicles and urge its reversal.

Are these goods vehicles meant for passenger transport? No. So they are inherently unsafe and as Dr Joseph Thambiah, head of National University Hospital's orthopaedic trauma division, has said, those sitting on cargo decks could still sustain injuries if they are flung against one another or to the back of the lorry.

The death rate in accidents arising from this mode of transport is reported to be six times lower than in other accidents. But this category of casualties should not even exist. Singaporeans who take other modes of transport choose to do so, but workers have no choice but to risk death or injury while transported in this manner.

I believe most developed nations do not transport workers in this manner.

According to the Land Transport Authority website, the work group which reviewed this practice did not include the voice of the most important stakeholders - affected workers. Migrant workers' non-governmental organisations were not included. Given a choice, it is clear that workers would choose passenger vehicles over cargo decks of goods vehicles.

I support Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's far-sighted call for workplace safety in April last year during the launch of the National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign.

He said Singapore felt bad if it was a Singaporean worker, 'but even more so if it was a foreign worker, who had come all the way here at considerable expense to earn a living and support his dependants back home, but whose efforts to improve his life had instead ended in disaster for himself and his family'.

PM Lee also rightly linked safety in the workplace to sound business sense and pointed out that injuries and deaths result in not only costs but also 'loss of reputation'. He urged employers to see 'good safety and health practices as an investment for the future, not an additional cost burden'.

I believe these comments are equally applicable to the safe transport of workers.

I also agree with the point made by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports and Transport) Teo Ser Luck that safety is paramount. If it is, then it should be the final determining factor, not cost.

Isabel Vadivu Govind (Ms)

Safety Measures for Worker Transport in Phases

The following article was published in TODAY on 19 August 2009.

Reproduced photo caption: Foreign workers crowded on the back of a pick-up truck. (Photo from TODAY)

Greater safety in phases

By Lin Yanqin

TODAY

19 August 2009

AFTER nearly 18 months of consultation and study, the measures to enhance the safety of workers being transported in the open back carriages of lorries have at last been finalised.

However, it will be another three years before the full slate of measures — which include installing canopies and higher side railings on the back of lorries — are rolled out, as they will be implemented in phases, beginning next month.

This led some Members of Parliament to wonder aloud yesterday if three years were too long a lead time, given that “life and limb” are at stake.

“(Installing railings) is a very simple job, so why do you need three years to do that?,” asked Aljunied MP Cynthia Phua.

The three-year time period, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Teo Ser Luck, is necessary to give lorry owners time to comply.

“We have to consider the businesses and the small and medium enterprises as well, cost factors are also a consideration for them, and we also have to know in the medium term what they can do (or can’t do),” he said.

In the meantime, some new measures will take effect next month, and lorry owners also face stiffer penalties if they do not comply. For instance, the penalty for carrying more workers than allowed has been raised to $500 for the first offence, up from $200, with harsher penalties for more serious cases.

In announcing the new measures, Mr Teo pointed out that the current measures have been “generally effective”, with annual average fatality and injury rates at about six times lower than the corresponding rates for all vehicles over the past few years.

“The evidence from the accident figures does not suggest that a drastic change to the policy is warranted,” he said.

But how could this be, given that a case in which 16 foreign workers were injured occurred just two weeks ago, questioned Jurong MP Halimah Yacob.

Mr Teo did not respond directly to her query but stressed that safety is “paramount”.

With the cost of installing side railings estimated to be $400 to $800, and the cost of installing canopies about $1,500 to $3,000, industries will no doubt feel some pain.

But the Singapore Logistics Association’s land transportation committee chairman Poh Key Boon said it is better than imposing a total ban on the transportation workers on the back of lorries, as it is not always cost-effective to charter vans and buses to transport a few workers.

Companies should do more to incentivise safe driving, such as giving cash bonuses, Mr Poh said.

NEW MEASURES

From next month:

• No part of a seated worker may be more than 1.1m from the carriage deck

• Passenger seats of lorry cabins must be filled before workers occupy the rear carriage

• Enforcement operations and outreach efforts to be stepped up

• Penalties for non-compliance enhanced

• LTA hotline (1800-CALL LTA) for public to report instances of non-compliance

From next January:

• New lorries to carry workers on carriage deck must be fitted with higher protective side railings

• Canopies must be installed

• Lorries have until Aug 31, 2012, to comply with new rulings

From Sept 2012:

• Minimum deck space required per seated worker will be doubled to 8 sq ft so that fewer workers can be transported on one vehicle

(c) 2009. MediaCorp Press Ltd.

New Safety Regulations for Transporting Workers

The following story was published by the Straits Times on 19 August 2009.

Reproduced photo caption: Rails along the backs of lorries will have to go higher so that there is less chance of a worker being flung out in case of an accident. The decks will also have to be fitted with canopies as a safety measure and to shield them from rain. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

Workers on lorries get more protection

By Teh Joo Lin

19 August 2009

Straits Times

Safety rules tightened and will be phased in over a three-year period

ACTION is finally being taken to ensure that foreign workers are ferried more safely to and from their workplaces.

Rails along the backs of lorries will have to go higher so that there is less chance of a worker being flung out in an accident. The decks will also have to be fitted with canopies as a safety measure and to shield them from rain.

The Government wants all lorries which double as worker transport to have these features installed in three years. They should also provide more seating space, which effectively halves the number of workers each vehicle can carry.

In the meantime, stop-gap measures will kick in from next month: No part of the worker can be more than 1.1m higher than the cargo deck when he is seated. Among other things, the penalties for breaches will also be increased and enforcement intensified.

The changes, announced in Parliament yesterday by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Teo Ser Luck, come more than 16 months after a workgroup was set up to look at the safe ferrying of workers.

A total of 210 passengers on the cargo decks of lorries were injured or killed last year, up from 69 in 2005. There have been public calls for a ban on using lorries to ferry foreign workers or to have seat belts installed on their decks.

Mr Teo told Parliament that the injury and fatality rates of those ferried on the backs of lorries were low - about six times lower than that of all vehicles. The workgroup found that the existing measures - such as a speed limit of 60kmh - were generally effective.

'Specifically, the evidence from the accident figures does not suggest that a drastic change to the policy is warranted,' he told the House, adding that the recommendations were put up to 'further enhance' the safety of workers.

The changes were a relief to those in industries such as construction and logistics, who had feared an outright ban or the introduction of new safety measures that would add to their cost.

Mr Simon Lee of the Singapore Contractors' Association yesterday praised the practicality of the measures.

'We think it is reasonable and we are supportive. To go for a total ban, I don't think our public transport system is ready to have about 200,000 workers - or part of that number - use public transport.'

Mr Steven Soo, a vehicle retrofitter, estimated that it will cost about $1,800 for a 10-foot-long lorry to be installed with the higher railings and a metal hood.

Unlike the retrofitting of mini buses that ferry school children which are partly subsidised by the state, lorry owners will have to pay their own way.

Mr John Gee, president of Transient Workers Count Too and a vocal critic of the current practice of ferrying workers, said the new measures were 'a step forward'. But transporting workers in buses should still be the ultimate goal, he said.

'If a lorry overturns, even with higher sides, the results are likely to be pretty well as serious as they are now. There's added protection but there's still quite some way to go,' he said.

Dr Joseph Thambiah, head of National University Hospital's orthopaedic trauma division, said the absence of restraints or seat belts means that those sitting on the cargo deck could still injure themselves if they were flung against each other or thrown to the back of the lorry.

President of the National Safety Council Tan Jin Thong welcomed the tightened rules, but thinks a 'safety mindset' among workers, drivers and employers is key to reducing the casualty count.

'Once we have that, the accident rate will automatically be reduced,' he said.

When contacted, Jurong GRC MP Halimah Yacob, who had asked for an update of the workgroup's report in Parliament, said she was glad there was 'some progress' on the issue, but wondered if the three-year time frame - designed so businesses could phase in the changes - was too long. 'The other challenge would be enforcement. It'll be a big challenge - there are thousands of lorries all over Singapore, thousands of work sites. How do you ensure compliance?'

(c) 2009 Singapore Press Holdings Limited

LTA Press Release - New Measures on Safety of Workers on Lorries

More Stringent Measures To Enhance Safety Of Workers Transported On Lorries

1. The Workgroup 1 , co-chaired by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), in consultation with various stakeholders - industry groups, safety experts and transport operators, has completed its review on measures to enhance the safety of workers transported on lorries. Among the set of stringent measures recommended to enhance the safety of workers transported on lorries are stiffer penalties for errant lorry owners and drivers who flout safety regulations, ramping up of enforcement activities and tightening of rules for carrying workers on the carriage deck of lorries. 2. These measures have been accepted by the Government and will be rolled out progressively in the next three years. Workgroup Recommendations 3. Findings from the Workgroup show that the current safety and enforcement measures have generally been effective in keeping the fatality and injury rates of workers transported at the back of lorries low (please see Annex A for details of current measures). Fatality / injury rates involving workers transported on the carriage deck of lorries were much lower compared to all road accidents 2 . However, the Workgroup recognises that as a significant number of workers (estimated to be more than 200,000 workers) are transported on lorries daily across industries, there is a need to enhance existing measures to further improve the safety of workers. Recommended Measures 4. The Workgroup has recommended various measures that would be phased in over 3 years. Measures that would be implemented are: From 1 September 2009 i. Lower maximum allowable height of a seated worker To further lower the risk of a worker falling off from the back of a lorry, no part of the worker when he is in a sitting position shall be more than 1.1 metres from the carriage deck. This is lower than the current requirement which specifies that no part of the worker, when he is in a sitting position, shall be more than 3.2 metres above the road surface. ii. Passenger seat(s) in the lorry's cabin must be filled up before workers can be carried at the rear carriage of lorries All the passenger seat(s) in the lorries' cabin must be filled up before workers can be transported on the carriage deck. Aside from the benefit of having more passengers seated in a safer environment, the front seat passenger(s) can also assist the driver by ensuring that workers carried on the carriage deck area, if any, are properly seated, and remind the driver to abide by the speed limit. iii. Enforcement operations further stepped up Enforcement activities have been intensified against lorry drivers who do not observe safety regulations since 2008. This will be further stepped up. iv. Penalties for non-compliance enhanced Penalties will be enhanced for drivers and owners who fail to comply with safety regulations, including carrying excess workers above the vehicle's Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC). v. Hotline to report non-compliance with safety regulations The public can help by calling the LTA Hotline (1800-CALL LTA) to report any instances of non-compliance spotted on the road, such as lorries carrying excess workers or in a dangerous / precarious manner. vi. Expand outreach programmes Ensuring safety is the joint responsibility of the Government, employers, drivers, workers and other road users. Government agencies such as LTA, MOM, Traffic Police and the various associations will continue in outreach programmes to educate employers and workers on their responsibilities and showcase welfare and safety best practices. From 1 January 2010 vii. Lorries registered from 1 January 2010 and used for carrying workers on the carriage deck must be fitted with higher protective side railings - up to a height of at least 700 mm (up from 550 mm) from the carriage deck, and at least 300 mm (up from 150 mm) from the top of the side-boards. To effectively shelter workers from inclement weather, lorries will also need to be fitted with canopies if they are to carry passengers on the carriage deck. From 1 September 2012 viii. Minimum deck space required per seated worker will be doubled to 8 square feet from the current 4 square feet from 1 September 2012. This will reduce the number of workers that can be transported on lorries as compared to what is stipulated today, and will lower the risk exposure in the event of an accident. The lead time of three years will also allow businesses to phase in operational changes and make decisions on their existing assets. Measures for existing lorries 5. For existing lorries, owners will be given a lead time of three years (i.e. up to 31 August 2012) to install the higher protective side railings and canopies, if they are to continue to be used to transport workers. 6. For more details of the new measures, please see Annex B. 7. In addition, current safety regulations as follows will continue to apply: i. Vehicle must not travel faster than the posted road speed limit or the vehicle speed limit of 60 km/h, whichever is lower ii. Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label must be displayed on the lorry.Owners who wish to use their lorries to carry their workers must display a Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label on the right side of the rear tailboard indicating the maximum number of workers that can be transported. iii. Goods transported must be properly secured If goods are also transported, they must be properly secured such that they will not endanger the workers carried or other road users 3 . Industry Stakeholders Support New Measures 8. Mr Jeremy Yap, co-chair of the Workgroup and Group Director, Vehicle and Transit Licensing with LTA, said, "The more stringent measures took into account various considerations. These measures prioritise safety within practical and reasonable limits. We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders to ensure the safe transportation of workers." 9. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, co-chair of the Workgroup and Deputy Director of MOM's Construction and Equipment Safety Branch, added, "The measures recommended by the Workgroup will help to enhance the safety of workers traveling on lorries. All stakeholders, including employers, drivers and workers, need to do their part to implement these measures, follow safety rules and keep our workers safe as they are ferried to and from the worksites." 10. Mr Poh Key Boon, Chairman, Land Transportation Committee, Singapore Logistics Association supported the new measures, stating, "We recognise that lorry owners, drivers and workers will be affected due to the more stringent measures. However, great care and consideration went into ensuring minimal impact and maximising the safety and welfare of workers being transported on the back of lorries. We encourage lorry owners, drivers and workers to start taking an active role today to ensure safety comes first during the journey." 11. Mr Tan Jin Thong, President of the National Safety Council of Singapore affirmed, "Safety is of course a primary concern. At the same time, we are glad that the workgroup's recommendations are reasonable and practical such that it does not paralyse the affected industries. Although the industries will require some form of adjustment such as displaced workers and stiffer penalties, this is supported because the lives of everyone including workers are precious and we see the importance of making their journeys as safe as possible." 12. Mr Chua Chee Wai, Head, Operations and Training, Traffic Police, and Workgroup member said, "Everyone has a shared responsibility to make journeys safer for workers. This includes lorry drivers who also need to exercise care for their passengers and observe safe driving habits. So, let's all play our part and keep our roads safe." Enclosures Annex A: Existing Safety Measures for Workers Transported on Lorries Annex B: Details of Measures to Enhance Safety of workers Annex C: Executive Summary of Workgroup's Review ______________________ 1 The Workgroup, co-chaired by LTA and MOM, was formed in 2008 to review and further enhance the safety of workers transported on lorries. Members comprise of Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI), Defence, Science & Technology Agency (DSTA), Ministry of Transport (MOT), National Safety Council of Singapore (NSC), Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), Singapore Logistics Association (SLA), Singapore School & Private Hire Bus Owners' Association (SSPHBOA), Singapore School Transport Association (SSTA), Singapore Transport Association (STA), and the Traffic Police (TP). 2 Over the past several years, both the fatality and injury rates were about 6 times lower than the annual average fatality and injury rates of all road accidents over the same period. 3 Open lorries with a maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kg which are only used to transport goods (i.e. not used to transport workers) will still be required to have side protective railings along the sideboards of the rear carriage deck to prevent goods from falling off the carriage deck. http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=2174

Make travelling safer for everyone alike

The following letter was published in The New Paper on 21 May 2009.

Make travelling safer for everyone alike

AS A Singaporean I must strongly voice my anger and disgust at the sad news that four more workers have been killed in a road accident, 'More deaths to come at back of other lorries?' (The New Paper, 19 May).

I feel the pain and anguish of the workers who met with this unfortunate accident. My deepest sympathies to their families who have lost their fathers, sons, brothers or uncles.

The question is: Do we allow our own children and office workers to travel to schools and offices in open top buses?

Do we allow our people to travel in trains without doors? Do we want to be transported to our destinations like animals?

Are these foreign workers treated shabbily because they are less worthy and dispensable? Will we take action only if it involves our own valuable citizens?

The idea of travelling in receptacles without roofs is seen only in roller-coaster rides or other speed thrill-seeking rides. Even those have safety considerations.

But there were no safety considerations for these poor souls who have sacrificed their lives in the hope of finding a better life in another country.

They and their families may have thought highly of our standards of living and security. That's why they chose to work here. But we have let them down.

This is one tragic example. There are many other cases.

Just look at the way we house them.

We need foreign workers to do the dirty job, but do not want them to enjoy the same standard of living like us.

How many more must die before the authorities take concrete and responsible action to make working and travelling to work safer for everyone alike, local or foreign?

No more playing with people's lives.

It must stop. I urge a ban on transporting workers in lorries.

FROM READER STEPHEN GEORGE DE SOUZA

Saving money by keeping them safe

The following article was published in the New Paper on 23 May 2009.

Saving money by keeping them safe
23 May 2009
The New Paper

Some construction firms feel workers keep healthy and safe travelling in buses

IT'S COMMON to see construction workers travel to work in open-air lorries in Singapore, but these batch of workers are different.

They travel to and from their worksite in Clementi in an air-conditioned bus hired by their company, Straits Construction.

And the company has been doing so since 2002.

Said Mr Alex Lim, 35, a human resource consultant with Straits Construction: 'We could choose to ferry them by lorry, but in Singapore, we are likely to meet with rain 50per cent of the time. Then most of them will get theflu or catch a cold.

'What's the point if we save money but get lower productivity?'

The workers, mostly in their 20s, are grateful.

While their compatriots have to brave the weather and face the danger of accidents and falling off the lorry,the men at Straits Construction can catch a quick nap, chat or drink coffee during their daily journey.

Mr S B Alagesan, 23, who has worked in Singapore for two years, said: 'Buses are better, at least when it rains. We have cover and won't have mud flowing all over our body.'

Fellow worker R Panchanathan, 25, said he was grateful for the increased safety of buses.

He said: 'Last time I used to travel by lorry. When it stops, I sometimes jerk forward and fall but the driver will continue to speed very fast.

'No one cares. In buses we won't fall down.'

Currently, it costs a company about $4,000 to hire a bus for a month. The sum is for two trips a day, to and fromthe work site, including public holidays.

Typically, each bus can carry about 45 workers.

In contrast, hiring a lorry for a month costs about $3,000.

'We have about 800 workers and need to hire about 20 buses. The workers need to be safe and healthy for work,' said Mr Lim.

Mr Lim estimates that hiring a lorry to transport workerswould save his company about $20,000 every month.

Another company that ferries workers to and from their dormitories to their various worksites in air-conditioned buses is Keppel Fels.

When contacted, it declined to comment.

Buses too expensive

But not everyone is convinced that buses are better. At CP Ong Construction, workers are still ferried to work by lorries owned by the company.

Said Ms Sharon Qiu, 27, a purchaser: 'It will definitely be more expensive if we have to hire a bus company. We own the lorries, so there's no external costs.'

Ms Marie Palma, an administrative manager at Chuan-Yu construction company, said that their workers have always been transported on lorries and this is unlikely to change.

'We have had no problems sending the workers to workon lorries and I don't think we will switch to buses,' said Ms Palma.

Meanwhile, companies who are using buses have adapted well.

For example, workers are told to change out of their typically muddy work boots and sweaty clothes before they get on the bus to prevent them from dirtying thevehicles too much.

Said Mr V Pichau of Straits Construction, 37, who has worked in Singapore for more than five years: 'We change into our workclothes and boots only when we reach the site and back into our home clothes when we are going back.

'Still, we are very sweaty. Sometimes, we complain among ourselves that the bus is smelly, especially withthe air-conditioning.'

Bus driver Chan Ah Soon, 58, who has been ferrying the workers for about two years, said that the men are generally well-behaved.

He said: 'Sometimes some of them forget to change their clothes and shoes, but it's just dirt, I can wash it away.

'I've seen lorries ferrying workers involved in accidents and I pity them. No matter what, buses are definitely safer than lorries.'

Mr Chan said he takes about two hours to clean the bus every evening.

Workers who have travelled in lorries told The New Paper that it was scary.

Said Mr S Koorthilkeyam, 28: 'When it rains, we get wet and the floor is slippery and because we sit on chairs, we will slide around.'

Another worker, who was waiting for his company lorry, admitted that he dreaded every ride he took.

Said Mr Kibria Sarker, 38: 'Every time I take the lorry, I am scared.

'Whether it rains or it is sunny, it is also no good. We siton the chairs at the back of the lorry and it's like dancing, any time can fall over, only for us it's onto theroad.'

As The New Paper team waited for the Straits Construction bus to pick the workers up from their dormitory, we witnessed a group of about 60 men rushing forward to board a large lorry.

They climbed and pushed one another to get on. Some stumbled but quickly picked themselves up to try to geton again.

The workers seemed to understand that the lorry could not stop by the roadside for too long as the heavy traffic rushed by.

In less than five minutes, the men were packed into thecargo deck on plastic chairs and the lorry moved off.

Pearly Tan, newsroom intern

Copyright 2009, Singapore Press Holdings Limited