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SINGAPORE: Contractors who have complied with the COVID-19 security measures for the construction sector announced by the government on Friday (May 15) can begin work on their projects, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
This is in addition to the plan to allow time-sensitive and critical projects, such as MRT jobs and sewer system tunneling projects, to start first when the “circuit breaker” is raised, as well as activities that cannot be left idle. for a long time due to security concerns. These projects will be allowed to resume starting June 2, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said separately on Friday.
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“If the contractor shows up and says, ‘You haven’t given me priority to be at the top of the list, but I’m ready … with all the precautions you’ve required on your checklists’ … then, no doubt, we will be ready for that particular contractor to start work, “Wong said.
He said that while the government will prioritize both the development of private and public housing, security considerations come first.
Without adequate precautions, cases and groups are likely to emerge, and the job sites will eventually be forced to close, he added.
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“We certainly understand that there will be people anxious about the status of their projects,” said Wong. “(But) we better be careful.”
In workplaces, companies will have to appoint safe management officers to enforce safe management measures, post health advisory posters and infographics in the native languages of foreign workers, and install “technology-enabled processes”, such as the digital SafetyEntry system used across the island at this time, when workers enter and leave specific areas within the workplace.
The workers will be divided into teams and will be restricted to work in a single zone; Cross-deployment or interaction between workers on different teams will not be allowed.
Contractors must provide workers with individually packed meals and utensils, as well as masks while on the job.
BTO PROJECTS ONE OF THE FIRST TO RESTART, PROVIDES SAFETY GUIDELINES ADHEREED TO: BCA CEO
Hugh Lim, executive director of the BCA, similarly said that while built-to-order public housing (BTO) projects will be one of the first types of development that will be able to resume work, ultimately it still depends on whether the contractor has security requirements in place.
He also warned that Singapore’s construction sector can wait “a very slow start” for at least a month or two before authorities review how to accelerate activity.
If these security protocols were difficult to implement, there would definitely be breaches if too many activities resume too quickly, he added.
What authorities want is to avoid a situation where the industry must stop again after it has restarted, Lim said.
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