39th Edition | ISSN 1793-1665 | March 2020

safety

FEATUREDarticles02 Highlights of Annual Safety, Health

and Environmental Award Convention (ASAC) 2019

08 Lum Chang T315 - A Healthier Workforce For A Safer Workplace

10 Resource Conservation Efforts on LTA Construction Projects

12 Training on Road Safety and Traffic Management for Temporary Road Works

14 LTA’s Journey in System Safety Assurance for Rapid Transit System

news

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THE ASAC COMPETITION

A total of 72 companies, projects and individuals were honoured at the Annual Safety, Health & Environmental Award Convention (ASAC) held on the 21st August 2019 at the Singapore Expo Max Atria. Hosted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yearly, it recognises and celebrates the achievements of organisations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding performance in Workplace Safety and Health (WSH), and in Environmental management.

The competition saw a total of 54 participating contracts competing for the various safety, health and environmental awards across different categories. These contractors were assessed based on their Environmental, Safety and Security (ESS) assessments, safety performance statistics and a round of internal site audit conducted by LTA’s project management teams.

There were four finalists, namely Contract T306 Woh Hup (Private) Limited, Contract T307 Samsung C&T, Contract T315 Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd and Contract 882 China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch - Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd. Joint Venture, shortlisted to compete against one another for the Contractors Challenge Shield. The finalists were subjected to an audit by an esteemed Panel of Judges (POJ), and had also prepared a theme-based presentation for the event.

The POJ comprises of senior management representatives from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES), Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL) and Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO).

NEW AWARD CATEGORIES

At the ASAC, we had also witnessed the introduction of 9 new award categories that recognise safety practices in public transport, road maintenance and operations, logistics and transport as well as active mobility. With these new categories, recognition for best safety practices will now encompass the entire land transport ecosystem.

The inaugural Construction Safety Innovation Award was given out to 8 contractors who had demonstrated innovation and leveraged on technology to enhance their work processes. There were some notable innovations from the award winners. Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd developed a rail removal frame for use in the tunnels to eliminate manual handling during lifting. While Guthrie Engineering developed a trolley system to reduce the number of personnel needed to deliver heavy batteries into the station box, hence enhancing productivity.

For the first time at the convention, the promotion of safety on public paths was recognised through the Active Mobility Safety Advocate Award. Seng Kang Primary School received the Excellence award in the Schools category for their efforts in promoting proper usage of shared bicycles and safe path-sharing.

Highlights of Annual Safety, Health and Environmental Award Convention (ASAC) 2019

Figure 1: LTA’s Chairman, Mr. Alan Chan, delivering his opening address

Figure 2: Panel of Judges (from left): Mr. Bernard Soh (SISO), Mr. Vincent Ng (IES), Mr. Kenneth Loo (SCAL) and

Mr. Sebastian Tan (MOM)

Figure 3: Transport Minister Mr. Khaw Boon Wan presented Contract T315 Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd with the

LTA Contractors Challenge Shield and Champion Trophy

The theme ‘A Healthier Workforce for a Safer Workplace’, was chosen to emphasise the strong correlation for a healthy workforce contributing to a safe workplace. Besides addressing the impact of work on workers’ health, it is important to ensure that the worker’s health condition does not affect safety, or being aggravated by working conditions. The theme also aligns with one of the key strategies under the WSH2028 Tripartite Strategies Committee, to promote a healthy workforce.

In the opening address, Mr. Alan Chan stressed that companies should take a holistic approach with both workplace safety and the health of its workforce, giving utmost priority to the wellbeing of their employees. He also mentioned that LTA is looking at introducing a Health Award for subsequent conventions. This award aims to recognise companies who are proactive and committed in driving workplace health initiatives.

For ASAC’s top award, Contract T315 Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd clinched the Contractors Challenge Shield and Champion Trophy, for demonstrating exemplary WSH management for their works on the existing Tanah Merah Station and Viaducts.

INTRODUCTION

A HEALTHIER WORKFORCE FOR A SAFER WORKPLACE

CONTRACTORS’ CHALLENGE SHIELD (ASAC CHAMPION)

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During the convention, LTA contractors, public transport operators and agencies set up exhibition booths to share safety, health and environmental best practices. Leading technology vendors were also invited to showcase their latest innovation such as data analytics, sensors and automation, aimed at advancing WSH and positive environmental outcomes.

Highlights of Annual Safety, Health and Environmental Award Convention (ASAC) 2019

Figure 4: Certis showcased the use of artificial intelligence to detect unauthorised workers and unsafe practices

Figure 5: Dengue Warrior Vest by T306 Woh Hup (left), and the fatigue detection system installed in bus captain’s cabin

by SBS Transit (right)

At Contract T306 Woh Hup (Private) Limited’s exhibition booth, the company demonstrated the use of Dengue Warrior Vest to prevent their workers from mosquito bites. While at SBS Transit’s booth, the Golden Eye Anti-Fatigue system was featured. This system is installed in their bus fleet to detect driver’s fatigue or abnormal behaviour.

72 awards were presented during the convention and some awards were further divided into four categories:Category A – civil contracts with value $50 million and aboveCategory B – civil contracts with value between $20 million and below $50 millionCategory C – E&M contracts with value $20 million and aboveCategory D – contracts with value below $20 million• Contractors Challenge Shield to the champion of the ASAC

finalists competition.• SafetyandHealthCertificateofExcellence to 4 finalists from

Category A, 1 from Category B, 1 from Category C and 1 from Category D for their outstanding WSH performance over the assessment period.

• Safety and Health Certificate of Merit to 2 contractors from Category A, 5 from Category C and 3 from Category D for their consistent good WSH performance over the assessment period.

ASAC EXHIBITIONS

Lee Yu Qi JocelynDeputy Safety & Health Manager

Construction Safety & Environmental Protection Division

• Project Safety Commendation Award to 1 LTA Project Safety and Environmental Committee with best effort and WSH performance in ensuring and promoting excellent WSH standards at its worksites.

• ConstructionEnvironmentalExcellenceAwardto 1 contractor from Category A who have shown excellent environmental management at their worksites.

• ConstructionEnvironmentalMeritAward to 4 contractors from Category A and 1 contractor from Category D who have shown consistently good environmental management at their worksites.

• Accident-Free Million Man-hours Recognition Award to 15 contractors with considerable accident-free man-hours milestone without reportable accidents or major incidents.

• QPS Safety Award to 2 QPS teams with proactive contribution towards addressing WSH issues.

• Sub-contractors’SafetyRecognitionAward to 5 sub-contractors with significant contribution to good WSH performance.

• WSH Officer Recognition Award to 1 WSH Officer for his commendable dedication and contribution towards Workplace Safety and Health.

• Construction Safety Innovation Award to 8 contractors for their proactive efforts in safety innovations to improve Workplace Safety and Health.

• Safe Rail Line of the Year Excellence / Merit Award to rail transport operators with good / outstanding performance in workplace and commuter safety.

• SafeBusOperator of theYear Excellence /MeritAward to bus transport operators with good / outstanding performance in workplace and commuter safety.

• SafeTaxiOperatoroftheYearExcellence/MeritAward to taxi operators with good / outstanding performance in workplace and commuter safety.

• Safest Logistics / Transport Company Merit Award to companies with good performance and standards on road safety.

The following awards were presented to recognise contractors with good / outstanding performance towards workplace and road users’ safety:• Mechanical&ElectricalMaintenanceSafety(PublicFacilities

&Systems)Excellence/MeritAward• Road Traffic System & Road Tunnel Operations Safety

(Tunnel,RoadOperation&Systems)Excellence/MeritAward• RoadOperationsInspection&ConsultancySafetyExcellence

/MeritAward• CivilMaintenanceSafety(Maintenance/UpgradingContract)

Excellence/MeritAward The following awards were presented to recognise communities and schools for their good / outstanding achievements in promoting the safe use of active mobility:• ActiveMobility SafetyAdvocate (Community) (Excellence /

MeritAward)• ActiveMobilitySafetyAdvocate(Schools)(Excellence/Merit

Award)

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Figure 16: Citycab Pte Ltd

The Winners of ASAC 2019

Figure 6: Category A (Finalist) – Contract T306 Woh Hup (Private) Limited

Figure 11: Category C – E&M Contract T250 CTCI Corporation / CTCI Singapore Pte Ltd

Consortium

Figure 21: Thomson-East Coast Line (Civil Team 5) Project Safety & Environmental

Committee – Mr. Kulaindran Ariaratnam, LTA Project Director

Figure 7: Category A (Finalist) – Contract T307 Samsung C&T

Figure 17: Contract RP260W – Fonda Global Engineering Pte Ltd

Figure 22: Category A – Contract T301 GS Engineering & Construction Corp.

Figure 8: Category A (Finalist) – Contract T315 – Lum Chang Building

Contractors Pte Ltd

Figure 13: Category A – Contract 158A China State Construction Engineering Corporation

Limited Singapore Branch

Figure 19: Nee Soon Central Active Mobility Patrol Team

Figure 20: Seng Kang Primary SchoolFigure 14: PT212 Jurong West Bus Package – SBS Transit Ltd

Figure 23: Category A – Contract T303 Bachy Soletanche Singapore - Wai Fong Joint

Venture

Figure 9: Category A (Finalist) – Contract 882 China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch -

Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd. Joint Venture

Figure 10: Category B – Contract ER519A Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd

Figure 15: North-South Line – SMRT Trains Ltd.

Figure 12: Category D – Contract N1038 Aik Sun Demolition & Engineering Pte Ltd

Safety & Health Excellence Award (Finalists)

Construction Environmental Excellence Award

Active Mobility Safety Advocate (Community) Excellence Award

Active Mobility Safety Advocate (Schools) Excellence Award

Safe Bus Operator of the Year Excellence Award

Safe Rail Line of the Year Excellence Award

Project Safety Commendation Award

Safe Taxi Operator of the Year Excellence AwardSafety & Health Excellence Award Safety & Health Merit Award

Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance Safety Excellence Award (Public Facilities & Systems)

Figure 18: Contract TR136 – ST Synthesis Pte Ltd

Road Traffic System & Road Tunnel Operations Safety Excellence Award (Tunnel, Road Operation & Systems)

5The Winners of ASAC 2019

Figure 26: Category C – E&M Contract T273A Gammon Pte Ltd

Figure 31: Category D – Contract T2906 Fosta Pte Ltd

Figure 36: Category D – Contract ER521A Megastone Holdings Pte Ltd

Figure 41: Contract RP225A – KONE Pte Ltd

Figure 27: Category C – E&M Contract T275C – Guthrie Engineering (S) Pte Ltd

Figure 32: Category A – Contract T302 China Railway First Group Co., Ltd.

Singapore Branch

Figure 37: PT216 Woodlands Bus Package – SMRT Buses Ltd.

Figure 38: Circle Line – SMRT Trains Ltd.

Figure 28: Category C – E&M Contract T278C Deluge Fire Protection (S.E.A.)

Pte Ltd

Figure 33: Category A – Contract T308 Ssangyong - Hyundai Joint Venture

Figure 29: Category D – Contract TR223 Swee Builders Pte Ltd

Figure 34: Category A – Contract T309 John Holland - Zhen Hua Joint Venture

Figure 39: Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd

Figure 24: Category B – Contract T278B Deluge Fire Protection (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd

Figure 30: Category D – Contract T256 ST Engineering Electronics Ltd.

Figure 35: Category A – Contract T226 Taisei Corporation

Figure 40: Bok Seng Logistics Pte Ltd

Figure 25: Category B – Contract T260 ST Engineering Electronics Ltd.

Safe Bus Operator of the Year Merit Award

Safe Rail Line of the Year Merit Award

Safe Taxi Operator of the Year Merit Award

Safest Logistics / Transport Company Merit Award

Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance Safety Merit Award (Public Facilities & Systems)

Construction Environmental Merit Award

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Figure 45: Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Active Mobility Patrol Team

Figure 48: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved

above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T226 Taisei Corporation

The Winners of ASAC 2019

Figure 51: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract

T313 Samsung C & T

Figure 47: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T219 Penta Ocean - Bachy Soletanche Joint

Venture

Figure 52: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T315 Lum Chang Building Contractors Pte Ltd

Figure 53: Category 2 (For civil contracts below $120 million that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-hours) – Contract 715 China State Construction Engineering

Corporation Limited Singapore Branch

Figure 49: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T301 GS Engineering & Construction Corp.

Figure 54: Category 2 (For civil contracts below $120 million that achieved above 0.4 million

accident free man-hours) – Contract 158A China State Construction Engineering Corporation

Limited Singapore Branch

Figure 50: Category 1 (For civil contracts $120 million and above that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) – Contract

T307 Samsung C & T

Figure 55: Category 2 (For civil contracts below $120 million that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-hours) – Contract

ER519A Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd

Figure 56: Category 2 (For civil contracts below $120 million that achieved above 0.4 million

accident free man-hours) – Contract ER529A Quek & Quek Civil Engineering Pte Ltd

Figure 57: Category 2 (For civil contracts below $120 million that achieved above 0.4 million

accident free man-hours) – Contract ER507A Koon Construction & Transport Co. Pte. Ltd.

Figure 58: Category 3 (For E&M contracts that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T275A Gammon Pte Limited

Figure 59: Category 3 (For E&M contracts that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T260 ST Engineering

Electronics Ltd.

Figure 42: Contract TR285 – CPG Facilities Management Pte Ltd

Figure 43: Contract TR271B – Novaars International Pte Ltd

Figure 44: Contract TR305B – Gim Tian Civil Engineering Pte Ltd

Figure 46: Northlight School

Road Traffic System & Road Tunnel Operations Safety Merit Award (Tunnel, Road Operation & Systems)

Road Operations Inspection & Consultancy Safety Merit Award

Civil Maintenance Safety Merit Award (Maintenance / Upgrading Contract)

Active Mobility Safety Advocate (Community) Merit Award

Active Mobility Safety Advocate (Schools) Merit Award

Accident-Free Recognition Award

7The Winners of ASAC 2019

Figure 62: Contract 882 – China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited Singapore Branch - Nishimatsu Construction

Co Ltd. Joint Venture

Figure 63: Contract T301 – GS Engineering & Construction Corp.

Figure 64: Contract T305 – Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Figure 65: Contract T252 – Alstom Transport (S) Pte Ltd

Figure 60: Category 3 (For E&M contracts that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-

hours) – Contract T273B Voltas Limited

Figure 61: Category 3 (For E&M contracts that achieved above 0.4 million accident free man-hours) – Contract T250 CTCI Corporation &

CTCI Singapore Pte Ltd Consortium

Figure 66: Contract T260 – ST Engineering Electronics Ltd.

Figure 69: Contract TR286 – Guthrie Engineering (S) Pte Ltd

Figure 72: QPS of Contract T305 – GWC Consulting Pte Ltd

Figure 75: Kori Construction (S) Pte Ltd

Figure 67: Contract T275B – Guthrie Engineering (S) Pte Ltd

Figure 70: Contract T310 – Woh Hup (Private) Ltd - Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore)

Pte Ltd Joint Venture – Mr Ramasamy Elangovan, Workplace Safety & Health Officer

Figure 73: Chan & Chan Engineering Pte Ltd

Figure 76: L&M Foundation Specialist Pte Ltd

Figure 68: Contract ER519A – Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd

Figure 71: QPS of Contract T216 – JIB Specialist Consultants Pte Ltd.

Figure 74: Doo Ree Engineering & Trading Pte Ltd

Figure 77: Multibase Construction Pte Ltd

Subcontractor’s Safety Recognition Award

Construction Safety Innovation Award

WSH Officer Recognition Award

QPS Safety Award

8Lum Chang T315 – A Healthier Workforce For A Safer Workplace

At the 21st LTA Annual Safety, Health and Environmental Award Convention (ASAC) held on the 21st August 2019, TelC6 Contract T315, Lum Chang Building Contractors, clinched the LTA Contractor’s Champion Trophy and Challenge Shield, for its works carried out on the existing Tanah Merah Station and Viaducts.

Figure 1: Sharing the joy with workforce for winning theLTA ASAC 2019 Awards

Figure 3: Our Project Manager addressing the workforce

Figure 4: Survey conducted on 380 workers

Figure 5: Counselling session for workers (Smoking Cessation Programme)

Figure 6: Counselling session for workers (Weight Loss Programme)

At Lum Chang, we are committed to create a safe and healthy work environment for our people. We do this by fostering a culture focused on awareness, open communication, education, supervision and safe working practices. Our goal is to have zero work-related injuries and illnesses.

Our aim is to improve our workforce health by identifying existing or potential health issues, and then subsequently helping them cultivate a healthier lifestyle. To this end, we have implemented a 4-Steps Approach.

STEP 1: LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

Leadership support and buy-in are essential for any successful workplace health programme. With management’s approval, we have implemented a weekly Fruits Day and arranged regular health related talks for the workforce to enhance their knowledge about healthier lifestyle habits. We have also removed drink vending machines on site to discourage the consumption of fizzy and sweet drinks. In addition, healthy food is served during celebratory events.

Figure 2: Lum Chang’s 4-Steps Approach

STEP 2: IDENTIFY NEEDS (DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS)

A health survey was conducted in June 2019 where we identified 2 most pressing health issues facing our workers - obesity and smoking. From the data collated, we benchmarked against the BMI guidelines established under the Ministry of Health, and the survey results revealed that 1 out of 9 workers were obese. We had also found out that a significant number of our workers smoke.

Fortunately, poor health arising from unhealthy lifestyle choices are preventable. With the strong support from management, the concern on obesity and smoking is now our number 1 workplace health priority.

STEP 3 : TAILORED ACTION

As the health condition varies among individuals, we had to customise our workplace health and wellbeing programme - PPE (People; Health Promotion & Environment).

• PEOPLE

To address obesity and smoking, we rolled out two intervention programmes respectively - counselling sessions for Weight Loss Programme and Smoking Cessation Programme.

INTRODUCTION

OUR WORKPLACE SAFETY & HEALTH VISION

On top of the counselling sessions, we had also engaged a Health Services Provider to conduct health screenings onsite for our workforce.

Regular in-house blood pressure checks are conducted, and results recorded for monitoring. Daily health declaration and temperature checks are also carried out every morning during the toolbox meeting session. In addition, water parades are conducted every day after the morning’s workout.

9Lum Chang T315

– A Healthier Workforce For A Safer Workplace

Figure 10: Lum Chang’s dormitory in Kranji

Figure 8: VR Training for workforce

Figure 7: Lum Chang weekly badminton team

Separately, we also recognised that our staff might be too busy or tired to exercise after coming home from work. In tandem with the Government’s GetActive! Singapore, we rolled out our very own Get Active Lum Chang programme, to encourage staff to get on their feet and get moving for better fitness. Activities include jogging, weekly badminton, Zumba and yoga.

• PROMOTION

We have introduced our latest Virtual Reality (VR) training module on Health & Wellness to our workforce. Through the VR training, our staff as well as workers get to experience hands-on training focusing on five topics:

1. How to have Healthy Lifestyles2. Healthier food choices for better nutrition3. Fatigue Management4. How to Prevent Heat Stress, and5. The Basics of Personal Hygiene

We have also invited medical professionals to give regular health talks on topics such as prevention of diabetes and heart disease.

As part of our health outreach programme that goes beyond our worksites, we engage nearby stakeholders and residents in our efforts to raise awareness on vector borne diseases such as dengue, as the disease can also cause poor or ill health.

• ENVIRONMENT

We recognised that having a conducive work and living environment is equally important for promoting and maintaining good mental and physical health.

Our dormitory in Kranji houses all our workers comfortably in spacious and well-ventilated bedrooms. Regular checks and maintenance are carried out to ensure high level of cleanliness and hygiene. In addition to a gym and recreation room, free laundry services are also provided. This has garnered many positive feedbacks as workers would be able to recoup their much-needed rest after a long day at the worksite.

STEP 4 : MONITOR & REVIEW

To measure its effectiveness, the workplace health and wellbeing programme is reviewed at the corporate level every six months. Regular dialogue sessions between management and staff are held individually on health goals. In this manner, staff are informed of their progress and, the review allowed us to continually tweak and enhance the programme.

Figure 9: Community engagement with stakeholders & residents

Since the health programme was rolled out in the 1st Quarter of 2019, we are glad to share that at least 2 of our staff have quitted smoking. In fact, many of our staff who are currently smokers have reduced their daily intake (i.e number of sticks) and are working towards a smoke-free lifestyle in the near future. In addition, 40% of the staff who have signed up for the Weight Loss Programme had successfully achieved a weight reduction of 20%. Having a healthier workforce will lead to a safer workplace.

At Lum Chang, we are committed to building a strong Workplace Safety & Health culture. We also strongly believe that our top priority is getting our people and stakeholders home safely every day.

Free WIFI

Spacious & Well-Ventilated Bedroom

Gym

Laundry

CONCLUSION

Ong Yen ShengSenior Workplace Safety and

Health OfficerLum Chang Contract T315

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INTRODUCTION

Resource Conservation Efforts on LTA Construction Projects

At the National Day Rally (August 2019) and United Nation’s Climate Action Summit (September 2019), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted Singapore’s vulnerability to the effects of global warming and stressed the need to focus on efforts in mitigating climate change. While PM Lee noted that our island city is small and highly urbanised, he promised that Singapore will do its part to mitigate climate change.

With the increasing focus on protecting the environment and natural resources, LTA recognises the need to improve our construction practices to ensure that the impact on the environment is minimised. One of the strategies that LTA has been adopting is to focus on resource conservation in our construction sites.

Resource conservation involves sustainability practices, proper use and management of natural resources while reducing the negative impacts on the environment. Proper planning by understanding the different processes and lifecycles of products should be carried out before specific areas for improvement can be identified. LTA’s practices include reducing, reusing and recycling precious resources such as energy, water and materials. With collective actions from all stakeholders, a big difference can be made.

As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the impact on the environment, resource conservation and management requirements have been specified in LTA’s Safety, Health and Environment General Specifications. It stipulates the use of energy-efficient electrical appliances, water-efficient products, reducing paper usage, and having separate receptacles to recover reusable and / or recyclable portion.

In a bid to heighten awareness on resource conservation, LTA collaborated with PUB to design a water conservation poster in conjunction with Singapore World Water Day 2016. Two environmental guidebooks, titled Water resource management at LTA sites and Construction waste management at LTA sites, were also published to educate contractors on the requirements and good practices for conserving resources.

Through these initiatives, LTA encourages its staff and contractors to be mindful about both the demand for resources, and the waste generated. Influenced by LTA’s drive for resources conservation, many contractors have started to implement creative solutions. While some have adopted the use of new technologies, others have developed simple but meaningful ways to save resources.

ELECTRICITY

Many LTA construction projects started the use of renewable energy sources such as solar panel to support their own electricity demand and power electrical appliances at the construction site.

Cross Island Line (CRL) Contract N109A installed solar panels to power its lighting for site office, while Road Infrastructure Development (RID) Contract RC118 captures solar energy in the day for its night lighting. As technology continues to improve, solar panels have become more affordable, efficient, and are readily extendable to a wide range of applications. Solar energy is also utilised to power the noise meters in Thomson East-Coast Line (TEL) Contract T306. In fact, solar power can be used to recharge many small appliances.

Besides using alternative energy supplies, reducing energy demand is equally crucial. Phantom load is the electricity consumed by appliances when they are being turned off or in standby mode. Studies have shown that phantom loads contributed an extra 10% to one’s electrical bill1. Therefore turning off and unplugging electrical appliances when not in use would ensure there is no wastage of electricity when appliances are in idle mode. Simple actions like switching off the lights and air-conditioners can go a long way in resource conservation.

An interesting way of keeping the sites and offices cool is to plant greenery around the area. Green walls and roofs prevent excessive heat from being absorbed by buildings and surfaces, preventing the warming of surrounding air and thus reducing ambient temperature. It will also reduce the electrical load on air-conditioners, resulting in more energy saved.

WATER

Fresh, clean water is a limited resource, and its accessibility is a growing challenge in the face of climate change. For decades, and with the help of new technologies, Singapore has been working hard to develop a secured water infrastructure, but this cannot be taken for granted. Construction projects require the use of water for many of its processes, such as tunnelling, concrete curing etc.

Managing consumption

Managing consumption and raising awareness through water conservation is key in reducing wastage. At the corporate level, good practices implemented include: setting Key Performance Indicators for water consumption, organising water-saving competitions for site offices, as well as monitoring and documenting water consumption. Everyone has a role to contribute in conserving water, and such activities keep the team responsible and informed whenever the taps are running. Involving both the management and staff would ensure that corporate goals are met.Figure 1: Solar panels at N109A site office

Figure 4: Greening of site office at TEL Contract T315

Figure 2: Solar-powered lights at RC118

Figure 3: Solar-powered noise meter at T306

LTA’S EFFORTS IN RESOURCE CONSERVATION

1 National Environmental Agency 2008, E2S Publication, <https://www.e2singapore.gov.sg/DATA/0/docs/Booklet/E2S%20Publication.pdf>

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Proper waste management systems should be implemented to manage the different types of waste. Many of these waste materials can be reused or upcycled into new products. For example, many sites reused their concrete waste and milled waste to pave their site access. TEL Contract T202 constructed designated walkways from used H-piles, while Contract T225 upcycled old drums into furniture and storage lockers at the workers’ rest area. Flower pots were also created from old containers and placed around the site, adding greenery to the area.

The use of green concrete for sustainable construction was also featured previously in the 33rd edition of Safety News. Green concrete incorporates industrial waste by-products, such as Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBS) - a recycled material produced from iron, to partially substitute the Ordinary Portland Cement mixture used in producing concrete.

As for waste generated by the workforce or the site office, conventional recycling methods could apply. Colourful recycling bins are a common sight at offices and workers’ rest areas to encourage staff to sort their waste, instead of just disposing them in the trash bin. Contract T225 took a step further, with food waste being recycled in a digester to produce fertilisers for their horticulture needs.

At TEL Contract T225, recycled ECM water is sprayed on the roof of the worker’s rest area to lower ambient temperature. Whereas for RID Contract ER519A, rainwater is harvested for the maintenance of the fish pond. Instead of using water directly from the tap, reusing and recycling water will help to conserve this precious resource while saving on water bills.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Construction sites generate wastes everyday. These wastes come from 3 main sources, namely construction activities, workforce and the site office. Majority of the wastes are generated from construction activities such as concrete and rebar wastage. Therefore, it is very important to plan in advance the amount of raw materials required for each construction process and not over-estimate, so as to minimise wastages.

Recycling of water

Aside from reducing water usage, another method in conserving water is to recycle it. This is especially relevant to construction projects, as many activities do not require potable tap water. Since it is already required of project sites to treat their surface runoff before discharge, LTA projects recycle the treated water for other activities. Common uses include the washing of vehicles and boots, or the wetting of access to prevent dust suspension. Moreover, some sites have also implemented interesting ideas to reuse the water collected on site.

Resource Conservation Efforts on LTA Construction Projects

The benefits of resource conservation are manifold – cost savings, lower carbon footprint and curbing climate change. Moving forward, LTA will continue to support and encourage staff and partners to think out of the box for creative solutions that better conserve Singapore’s limited resources. Through careful planning and synergistic efforts, we can work towards the goal of sustainable construction together.

Figure 7: H-piles reused as designated walkway at T202

Figure 8: Upcycled drums made into storage lockers at T225

Figure 9: Digester for food waste at T225

Figure 6: Cooling of roof using ECM water at T225

Reduction of water usage

On the construction site, small changes enhanced by technology can go a long way in conserving water. For example, using an automatic wheel washing bay reduces the amount of water needed as compared to manual washing. Similarly, high pressure nozzles at boot washing areas can deliver adequate water pressure to remove dirt effectively and fast. In TEL Contract T305, a filled 500ml plastic bottle was placed in the toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water utilised per flush.

Figure 5: Automatic Wheel washing bay at RLE Contract C715

CONCLUSION

LooHongEnDeputy Environmental Manager

Construction Safety & Environmental Protection Division

Amabel Chan Assistant Environmental Manager

Construction Safety & Environmental Protection Division

12Training on Road Safety and Traffic Management for Temporary Road Works

With the upcoming major road and rail projects such as the Thomson - East Coast Line (TEL), North - South Corridor (NSC), Jurong Regional Line (JRL), Circle Line 6 (CCL6) Extension and Cross Island Line (CRL), high volume of temporary road works are expected. However, it is important that these works do not disrupt traffic efficiency or compromise the safety of workers and road users. In 2019, PSR Directorate, Traffic Analysis & Projects (TA&P) and LTA Academy jointly organised a 2-day course to equip LTA staff with the knowledge and competency on traffic and safety aspects of road design, and implementation of temporary road schemes. In total, 10 runs were conducted last year and about 250 LTA staff from various groups such as TEL, NSC, JRL, CCL6, Road Construction (RC) and Road Asset Regulation & Licensing (RARL) attended.

Professor Gopinath Menon and Dr Lum Kit Meng from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) were engaged to train LTA staff on the fundamental principles of safe road design and traffic control. It comprises lectures, case studies and quiz. Some of the topics covered were as follows:

• Road Geometry and Cross-Section • Vertical Alignment • Horizontal Alignment • Super-elevation• Junction Layout and Traffic Controls• Types of Traffic Signs and Road Markings• Hoardings and Work Accesses• Pavement Surface and Skid Resistance • Common Road Defects • Truck Mounted Attenuator

Participants were taught the process and requirements in obtaining approval of traffic schemes. The principles and process of preparing and submitting traffic schemes for temporary road works were shared. These are important considerations in delivering safe and efficient temporary road works that fulfils the safety and current traffic needs of the public.

An overview of PSR (Roads) process, and explanations on the types and requirements of safety submissions are elaborated. The objective of the PSR (Roads) process is to ensure that the road projects are designed and constructed to achieve a high level of safety for all road users.

Figure 5: Format for traffic plans submission

Figure 3 & 4: M(TA&P) explaining the traffic plans submission process

Figure 1 & 2: Professor Menon and Dr Lum Kit Meng expounding the safety principles in road design and traffic control

Figure 6: List of traffic operation considerations for ensuring completeness of traffic plans submission

Common misunderstandings and mistakes seen in the design and submission were shared and discussed extensively through lively discussions.

Below are the steps and format to follow when making traffic plans submission via email:

• Choose Rich Text for attaching files • State submission status• Attach documents in the relevant row of the table

INTRODUCTION

DAY 1 - PRINCIPLES OF ROAD DESIGN AND TRAFFIC CONTROL

DAY 2 (FIRST HALF) - PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SUBMISSION (BY TA&P)

DAY 2 (SECOND HALF) - PROJECT SAFETY REVIEW (PSR) PROCESS (BY PSR DIRECTORATE)

13Training on Road Safety and Traffic Management

for Temporary Road Works

Figure 8: An example of the safety issues identified during site implementation audit

Figure 9: Group photo of course participants and facilitatorsFigure 7: Overview of PSR (Roads) Submission Process

The 2-day course was well-received by all the participants, who agreed that such training is beneficial as it raises their awareness and understanding of road safety engineering principles, as well as traffic control in design and implementation of temporary traffic schemes. Coupled with more on the job opportunities, they are confident to build their experience and grow their competency to higher level.

Generally, there are 5 different types of safety submissions to be submitted during the various stages of a developmental project life cycle.

• Preliminary Design Safety Submission (PDSS) To demonstrate that the actual and potential safety issues have

been identified in the preliminary design phase, and that they are considered in the evaluation and selection of the design and operational options.

• Detailed Design Safety Submission (DDSS) To demonstrate that safety has been considered and accorded in

all design aspects of the project.

• Temporary Traffic Control Safety Submission (TTCSS) To demonstrate the safety of temporary traffic control

arrangements, including the safety of workers in the work zone.

• Pre-Opening Safety Submission (POSS) / Post Construction Safety Submission (PCSS)

To demonstrate that the design has been properly translated into construction, and that no inherent safety defect has been incorporated into the constructed scheme.

Following the endorsement of the TTCSS, the traffic consultant is required to conduct site inspections after the implementation of the temporary traffic scheme. This is to ensure that the scheme has been implemented in accordance with the endorsed design details, and road users are able to travel safely through the work zone. PSR Directorate will also verify the safety performance of the implementation through ad-hoc Site Implementation Audit.

During the course, common safety findings arising from site implementation audit were also highlighted to familiarise the participants with the Dos and Don’ts for the implementation of temporary traffic scheme.

Njiauw Chew Yuen NurdinManager

Traffic Analysis & Projects

LimQinShiMichelleAssistant Road System Safety Manager

PSR Directorate

“LTA should work with the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) to incorporate this course for the Chartered Engineers. It is also useful to have regular dialogue sessions with external consultants and contractors to share with them on the design and submission requirements of LTA.”

Professor Gopinath Menon

Divya RajasekaranExecutive Project Engineer, TELC4

Sia Wei KaiExecutive Project Engineer, RC3

“This course is useful for site staff who are involved in site implementation and handling submission of traffic diversions. The case-study session on identifying good and bad practices on site is interesting.”

“The topics taught in this course are informative. It reinforced certain basic concepts of road design. The segment on LTA’s submission process managed by various divisions have been explained clearly through this course. I highly encourage others to attend the course! ”

CONCLUSION

PARTICIPANTS’ FEEDBACK

TRAINER’S THOUGHTS

14LTA’s Journey towards System Safety Assurance for Rapid Transit Systems

Figure 1 shows a timeline for Electrical & Mechanical (E&M) system contract award of fully automated driverless MRT lines, with indications of the period at which respective industry standards were published.

NORTH EAST LINE (NEL)

E&M system contracts for NEL were awarded in late 1997. This was before International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) 61508 was published. IEC 61508 (Functional safety of electrical / electronic / programmable electronic safety-related systems) is the generic standard on functional safety

System safety is a vital requirement of railway systems as it has a dominant impact upon public safety. It is therefore important that acceptable levels of safety are achieved throughout the lifecycle of rail systems, through systematic application of engineering principles and risk management processes.

This article traces LTA’s journey of system safety assurance in tandem with international standards and best practices adopted by the railway industry, and demonstrates LTA application of system safety assurance for Rapid Transit System (RTS) projects.

INTRODUCTION

System Safety Assurance for RTS: Past, Present & Future

applicable to all industries. In the absence of a standard specific to functional safety of railway application, LTA adopted system safety design principles, as well as planning, organisation, implementation and management of tasks and activities from the British railway industry. Fail-safe design was adopted as a fundamental principle, especially in railway signalling, to ensure that the system reverts to a safe condition in the event of breakdown or malfunction.

In addition, best practices in hazard analyses and risk management were based on the military / defence standards for system safety. The logical sequence and continuity of system safety process as well as the risk assessment matrix defined in the US military standards for system safety (MIL-STD-882D) were adapted and tailored for application in NEL.

Design development as well as testing & commissioning phases of the NEL projects were the formative period of the LTA’s system safety assurance practices. LTA gained experience in practical application of activities such as Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP), Hazard Management, Quantified Risk Assessment, Deterministic assessment etc., and developed LTA Engineering Standards for Systems Assurance (SA). These Engineering Standards serve 3 main purpose; namely, (i) establish the minimum standards, and rules and criteria that must be complied with in order to ensure an acceptable level of safety, (ii) determine methods and techniques that can be consistently applied for meeting specified requirements, and (iii) ensure compliance with the latest regulatory requirements and standards, and to be up-to-date with guidelines from industry workgroups and associations.

Figure 1: Timeline of industry standards and development of driverless MRT systems by the LTA

15LTA’s Journey towards System Safety Assurance

for Rapid Transit Systems

Ng Hon Wai Deputy Chief Specialist, Systems

Assurance & IntegrationSystems Specialists Sub-Group

Rail / Road Systems Engineering Group

To further strengthen our system safety framework, the LTA’s procedure for Project Safety Review (PSR) was established since July 2000. This is a check-and-balance process to conduct system safety certification in stages over the project development lifecycle, with the aim to identify system safety issues and mitigate with control measures at the earliest possible time. Under the PSR process, criteria for determining tolerability and acceptability of risks were defined in a safety risk matrix and provided for standardised implementation in subsequent RTS projects.

CIRCLE LINE (CCL)

When the system wide turnkey contract for CCL was awarded in 2000, various European standards were established by European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) for specific application of system safety in railways. EN50126 and EN50129 had been published in 1999, followed by EN50128 about a year later.

DOWNTOWN LINE (DTL) & THOMSON-EAST COAST LINE (TEL)

International railway standards published by the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) were specified as normative references for system safety assurance in DTL. This widens LTA’s approach as standards and best practices in the European railway sector were studied.

With reference from the European railways, coupled with LTA’s gained experiences from NEL and CCL, we have built-up in-house capabilities to set system safety targets and requirements specifically for DTL.

By the time system wide contracts for DTL were awarded in late 2008, IEC 62278, IEC 62279 and IEC 62425 standards had been established and adopted by the local railway industry partners.

In addition to independent safety assessments by the respective system contractors, the LTA in-house team conducted safety-related software audits. Similar strategy and practices for systems safety assurance were also applied in the TEL project.

CURRENT & FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

CENELEC published the 2nd edition of EN 50126 in 2017, eighteen years after the original standard was introduced to the railway industry. Key revisions were made in several areas; such as application of the standard to complex systems with different hierarchical levels, renewal of existing system, explicit requirements on independent safety assessment and safety case, as well as guidance on risk matrix calibration, etc. As IEC 62278 is due for review this year, it will take into consideration the latest version of EN50126, along with IEC Technical Reports related to system safety of railways.

System safety assurance practices in LTA had developed in-line with the international standards for railway applications, and will be continually enhanced to be in-line with industry best practices that are relevant to the development of new RTS, as well as renewal and modifications of existing RTS in Singapore.

Figure 2: Tabulation of Standards

CCL adopted these CENELEC standards, which are in addition to the standards / best practices previously adopted in NEL. With reference to CENELEC standards, it was the first time LTA defined quantitative safety risk targets at the system and subsystem levels, and the CCL turnkey contractor set Safety Integrity Level (SIL) targets for functional safety. These targets provided the criteria for achieving a level of safety in CCL that was benchmarked to overseas metro systems in the UK and Hong Kong.

Using the principles of independent safety assessment, and adopting the content and structure of safety cases from EN 50129, evidence of system safety in CCL was compiled and submitted as a safety submission for safety certification in accordance with the LTA’s PSR framework.

An independent safety consultant was engaged to conduct safety-related software audits of the CCL system, and laid the foundation for LTA to build up an in-house team of safety-related software auditors.

EDITORIAL

Editorial CommitteeAdvisorCorporate Safety Committee

EditorsLeong Choong YiokIan LiuMurnirah Mohamad Ridwan

Circulation OfficerZhuo Shumei

WritersJocelyn LeeOng Yen ShengLoo Hong EnAmabel ChanNjiauw Chew Yuen NurdinLim Qin Shi MichelleNg Hon Wai

Contributions or feedback to:Land Transport AuthorityConstruction Safety & Environmental Protection DivisionNo. 1, Hampshire Road, Blk 5, Level 4, Singapore 219428Tel: (65) 6295 7392 Fax: (65) 6396 1188Email address: ian_LIU@lta.gov.sg

Safety News is also available online athttps://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/who_we_are/statistics_and_publications/journals_and_newsletters.html#safety_news

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Reference: Ministry of Health Singapore 2020, <https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/resources>