Industry players and safety experts who spoke to CNA cited the pandemic’s ripple effects as a key source of pressure.
Meanwhile, the expedition of long-delayed projects can result in workers overlooking safety elements to meet shorter deadlines. Fatigue from working longer hours further increases the risk of losing one’s sense of judgment and attention to protocols while on the job. “It’s not just the workers; it’s usually a chain of instructions with everyone under tremendous pressure to unreasonable timelines.”
“For example, I dash across the road traffic light is red and nothing happens. The next time, I will do it again,” he added. Asked if the pandemic has resulted in more cost-cutting moves, he said: “Yes and no. Companies that can still sustain will not but some that are already dying may have no choice.”“Safety always becomes secondary when work is rushed. That should never be the case,” he told CNA. “At the end of the day, it’s the responsibility of the management to always make safety a priority.
Authorities can conduct checks, suggested Mr Han, so that safety time-outs will be more than just “paper exercises”. “Now, there’s no verification by the authorities. We can definitely do more.”
or new players hired due to manpower shortage? which one?