Stricter safety urged after multiple Rama II construction accidents
Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has called for stringent safety measures in response to recurrent accidents at a major construction project on Rama II Road, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. A meeting with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) is scheduled for tomorrow, March 28.
The minister has directed the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW), alongside the Institute for the Promotion of Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Working Conditions (POSHEC), to establish preventative measures and conduct inspections across construction projects nationwide, with a focus on high-risk areas in Bangkok.
The aim is to enforce strict safety measures. Contractors from various projects in Bangkok and its vicinity are to be invited to discuss comprehensive safety measures and clear preventive strategies. This includes scenario simulations to identify tangible prevention methods.
Furthermore, it is crucial to verify that all site workers are insured under Section 33 of the Social Security Act, whether they are Thai nationals or foreigners, ensuring social security protection. Employers and establishments must initially take responsibility if accidents involve their employees.
Meanwhile, Saroj Khumkhai, director-general of DLPW, addressed the ongoing fact-finding efforts regarding the March 18 accident at a major construction project on Rama 2 Road.
The responsible parties, including the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), have been invited to discuss the project’s overall direction, ensuring the investigation proceeds correctly, reported KhaoSod.
ITD has been summoned for a fact-finding session tomorrow to determine their compliance with the Safety Act 2011 and relevant ministerial regulations, particularly Section 8 concerning construction work, high-altitude work, scaffolding, and the use of cranes.
Violations in these areas may lead to fines of up to 400,000 baht, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
Saroj emphasised that laws have been enforced rigorously, with legal actions taken against all parties involved in such incidents.
The commitment to intensified inspections remains strong, with plans to engage other relevant agencies, such as the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), in reviewing various construction projects.
All responsible state agencies are urged to ensure that subcontractors at every level strictly adhere to these legal requirements.
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