BY JAROD LIM, SHEILA SRI PRIYA, and PRIYA MENON

DOSH regulations clearly state that all crane operators must be Malaysians. — Photos: FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

THE death of an administration executive near a construction site has focussed public attention on workplace safety.

Many are concerned whether enough is being done to ensure public safety, especially of passers-by and motorists at numerous development projects in the Klang Valley.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Executive Director (Planning) Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd, however, said checks were conducted daily in the city.

He said DBKL had two teams to ensure such sites are compliant with the Building (Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) By-laws 1985.

“Sometimes, investigations are conducted based on complaints but we also do random checks.

“Emphasis is given to high-risk areas where construction sites are very near buildings or residences.

“Notices will be issued for offences such as operating beyond the permitted hours, encroaching structures and if work is conducted outside the allowed parameters.

Cranes are important machinery in every high-rise construction and developers must ensure only skilled workers operate them to avoid any untoward incidents.

“We will only allow contractors to build according to the plan submitted to City Hall,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

Joice Chin Khoon Sing was killed by a hook that fell from a crane and hit her car while she was driving along Jalan Raja Chulan.

It was reported that the crane hook was operating outside the hoard fencing surrounding the construction site – a clear violation of safety laws.

It is believed that the driver of the crane was a foreigner which contravenes the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, that clearly states crane drivers must be Malaysian.

Najib said DBKL had conducted checks on the construction site where the accident happened but not the machinery.

“The safety of machinery is under the Occupational Safety and Health Department’s (DOSH) jurisdiction, not DBKL.

“We are still waiting for the investigations to be concluded by them,” he added.

However, Najib stressed that City Hall only issued permits if the machinery used in construction sites, including cranes, were approved by DOSH.

“When a building construction permit is given out by our department, we will monitor whether their site complies with the development application,” he said, adding that DBKL would continue to check on all development projects in Kuala Lumpur.

Within legal bounds

A check by StarMetro at several construction sites in Segambut Dalam, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and KL city centre revealed all the crane operators were locals and the machinery was operating within the hoarded up area.

Work at one construction site near the city centre, however, looked like it was being conducted beyond the permitted area.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an employee who once worked at a construction site, said some contractors would hire foreigners to operate the crane.

“Some contractors hire foreigners because it is cheaper. Although some of the foreigners are experienced, it is against the law,” he said.

He added the authorities would check these construction sites once every six months.

“They would do load tests and check the condition of the crane wire and hook,” he said.

A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Building Department spokesman confirmed local authorities do not monitor the use of heavy machinery at construction sites.

“This comes under the jurisdiction of DOSH and only skilled workers are supposed to operate heavy machinery.”

He said engineers with different areas of expertise would decide on such matters.

“DOSH approval is necessary to use cranes and erect scaffoldings,” he said.

He added MBPJ would carry out site visits to check on cleanliness, the setback area (land where the construction takes place) and the working hours.

“We also ensure the site is not a mosquito breeding ground as well as investigate public complaints such as road obstruction.

“These checks are spread out during the different construction phases. If we see something amiss at the construction site, we will report the matter to DOSH,” he said.

A check at construction sites in Section 13, 17, and 52 in Petaling Jaya showed that most of the machinery at large-scale development projects were operated by locals.

However, lorry drivers at the construction site seemed to be foreigners.

The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) said it had taken precautionary measures to ensure there are no mishaps during any construction process.

Mayor Datuk Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad said there were standard operating procedures developers had to follow.

However, he said it was difficult to continuously monitor work all the time.

“We even ask for the credentials of heavy machinery operators but there is no way of knowing if others are operating them as well,” he added.

Ahmad Zaharin said whenever there was a mishap, it would be monitored by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) as well as the Safety and Health departments.