Remedial Steps to Improve Workplace Safety by PIE Viaduct Collapse Contractor

28 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether Or Kim Peow Contractors has demonstrated that they have taken remedial steps to improve its workplace safety and health standards; (b) whether the company is still under the Business Under Surveillance programme; and (c) whether the Ministry has inspected all the company's worksites to check if the incident in July 2017 reflects a wider systemic failure of its safety management or a deterioration of its safety standards.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Or Kim Peow Contractors (Private) Limited (OKP) was placed on the Business Under Surveillance (BUS) programme on 19 July 2017 and is still being monitored under the programme. OKP has developed an action plan as part of BUS, and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be working with OKP to monitor the implementation of the plan.

Since the 14 July 2017 accident, MOM has carried out inspections at all worksites under OKP to ensure compliance with safety and health standards. MOM will continue to inspect OKP's worksites under the BUS programme. As OKP is currently facing a charge under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act in relation to the 14 July 2017 accident, it is not appropriate for the Ministry to comment on the existence or otherwise of systemic safety failures in the company.