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SAFETY
News
35th Edition | ISSN 1793-1665 | Mar 2018
FEATURED ARTICLES
02 Highlights of Annual Safety Award Convention
(ASAC) 2017
08 STEC - Safety Is My Responsibility
10 Quieter Noise Machinery and Study on
Boring Process to Reduce Noise Emission
12 Human Factors in Road Safety
14 Safety Systems For Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
Highlights of Annual Safety Award Convention
2 (ASAC) 2017
INTRODUCTION
The Annual Safety Award Convention (ASAC) is an event
hosted by the Land Transport Authority to recognise
its contractors who have shown strong commitment in
implementing excellent workplace safety, health and
environmental management practices in their worksites.
Last year’s ASAC was its 19th edition and it was held at the
Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre with Mr. Chan
Heng Loon Alan, Chairman of LTA as its Guest-of-Honour.
Close to 1000 participants which include LTA staff, QP teams,
contractors, sub-contractors and professionals from the
construction industry attended the event.
Figure 1: Guest-of-Honour Mr. Chan Heng Loon Alan, Chairman of
Land Transport Authority, delivering the opening address
THEME OF ASAC 2017
The theme for last year’s ASAC was: “Safety Is My In his opening speech, Mr Chan highlighted the need to adopt
Responsibility”. The theme aims to reiterate the importance best practices to prevent accidents from occurring in the first
of safety ownership, where every individual has a role to play instance. He also added that safety does not just lie with
in keeping the workplace safe. Contractors are encouraged LTA or with the contractor’s WSH personnel, it is a collective
to take ownership of safety and health by adopting a positive responsibility. The success of each project is not just about
attitude towards safety as well as taking the implementation of its timely completion, but more importantly, it’s also about
new safety initiatives seriously. completing it safely.
THE ASAC COMPETITION AND CHALLENGE SHIELD
Last year’s ASAC competition saw a total of 48 contracts Shield. These finalists then went through a round of audit
competing for the coveted ASAC Challenge Shield. by an independent Panel of Judges, and had to prepare a
These contractors were assessed based on their monthly presentation to be showcased on the actual day of the event.
Environmental, Safety and Security (ESS) scores, safety
performance statistics and a round of internal audit conducted The past winners of the Challenge Shield include Contract 925
by LTA’s project management teams. GS Engineering & Construction Corp (2015), Contract 925A
KTC Civil Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd (2015) and
Three finalists were subsequently short-listed from the group Contract T213 Samsung C&T Corporation (2016).
to compete against each other for the Contractors Challenge
PANEL OF JUDGES
The Panel of Judges comprises of senior representatives
from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Institute of Engineers
Singapore (IES), National University of Singapore (NUS) and
Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL).
The Panel of Judges were very impressed with the contractors’
excellent Workplace Safety and Health management
approaches as well as the well-maintained site conditions
at their respective worksites observed during the audits in
Figure 2: Panel of Judges (from the left): Mr. Lee Kay Chai, July 2017.
Professor Michael Chew, Dr. Goh Yang Miang, Er Liew Wan Sein
on behalf of Er Mohd Ismadi
Highlights of Annual Safety Award Convention
(ASAC) 2017
3
FINALISTS’ PRESENTATION
Last year’s finalists comprised of teams from TELC2 Contract
T213 Samsung C&T Corporation, TELC3 Contract T219 Penta
Ocean Construction Co Ltd - Bachy Soletanche Singapore Pte
Ltd Joint Venture and TELC4 Contract T225 Shanghai Tunnel
Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
Each finalist was given 15 minutes to showcase their good
practices based on the theme of the Convention with a
presentation and a theme-related skit. At the end of the
finalists’ presentations, the audience also had the opportunity Figure 3: Skit presentation by TELC4 Contract T225
to vote for their preferred presentation through Short Message Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Service (SMS).
Contract T225 Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore)
The skits put up by the 3 finalists were enjoyed by the audience Pte Ltd who won the audience over with their joyful and
and the winner of the Best Theme Presentation Award went to engaging performance.
CONTRACTORS CHALLENGE SHIELD (ASAC 2017 CHAMPION)
Figure 4: ASAC 2017 Champion TELC4 Contract T225 Figure 5: LTA senior management and ASAC finalists singing a
Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd with safety song to reemphasize the importance of commitment on safety
Mr. Chan Heng Loon Alan, Chairman of LTA
TELC4 Contract T225 Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore) Pte Ltd was crowned as the champion for ASAC 2017 and
the company walked away with the Contractor’s Champion Trophy and the Challenge Shield. In deciding on the champion, Dr Goh
Yang Miang remarked “It was a very difficult task to decide on one clear winner, in our opinion all of them are winners”.
AWARDS CONFERRED DURING ASAC 2017
The following awards were presented during the Convention: • Construction Environmental Merit Award to 4 contractors
from the Mega category and 1 from Major category who
• Certificate of Excellence to 3 finalists from the Mega have shown consistently good environmental management
category. at their worksites.
• Certificate of Merit to 4 contractors from the Mega category, • Innovative Noise Management Merit Award to 1 contractor
1 from Major category, 1 from Minor category and 2 from who had shown good efforts in developing innovative noise
E&M category for consistent good WSH performance over management methods at their worksite.
the assessment period. • Accident-Free Million Man-hours Recognition Award
• Project Safety Commendation Award to the LTA Project to 10 main contractors with a considerable accident-free
Safety Committee with the best effort and WSH performance man-hour milestone without reportable accidents or major
in ensuring and promoting excellent WSH standards at its incidents.
worksites. • QPS Safety Award to 1 QPS team with proactive contribution
• Best ASAC Theme Presentation to the finalist of the Mega towards addressing Workplace Safety and Health (WSH)
category for delivering the best theme presentation as voted issues.
by the audience. • Sub-contractors’ Safety Recognition Award to 4 sub-
• Construction Environmental Excellence Award to 2 contractors with significant contribution to good WSH
contractors from the Mega category and 1 from Minor performance.
category who have shown excellent environmental
management at their worksites. Marcello Cacioni
Deputy Safety & Health Manager
Safety Division
The Winners of ASAC 2017
4
Best ASAC Theme
Presentation Award
Figure 6: Mega Category (Finalist) Figure 10: Mega Category (Champion) Figure 14: Mega Category
– TELC4 Contract T225 – TELC4 Contract T225 – TELC1 Contract T203
– Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co – Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co – GS Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd
(Singapore) Pte Ltd (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Project Safety Certificate of Merit
Commendation Award
Figure 7: Project Safety Figure 11: Mega Category Figure 15: Major Category
Commendation Award – TELC1 Contract T206 – Roads Contract ER478
– Mr. Henry Foo, Director (TELC3) – Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co – Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd
(Singapore) Pte Ltd
Certificate of Excellence
Figure 8: Mega Category (Finalist) Figure 12: Mega Category Figure 16: Minor Category
– TELC2 Contract T213 – Roads Contract ER397A – Roads Contract ER495
– Samsung C & T Corporation – Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd – Megastone Holdings Pte Ltd
Figure 9: Mega Category (Finalist) Figure 13: Mega Category Figure 17: E&M Category
– TELC3 Contract T219 – TELC1 Contract T207 – Contract 952
– Penta Ocean Construction Co Ltd - Bachy – Shimizu Corporation – Siemens Rail Automation S.A.U.
Soletanche Singapore Pte Ltd Joint Venture and Siemens Pte Ltd Consortium
The Winners of ASAC 2017
5
Construction Environmental
Merit Award
Figure 18: E&M Category – Contract 955 Figure 22: Mega Category Figure 25: Mega Category
– Singapore Technologies Electronics – TELC1 Contract T203 – TELC3 Contract T216
Limited – GS Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd – Daewoo Engineering & Construction
Co. Ltd
Construction Environmental
Excellence Award
Figure 19: Mega Category Figure 23: Mega Category Figure 26: Major Category
– TELC4 Contract T225 – TELC1 Contract T206 – Roads Contract ER478
– Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co – Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. – Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd
(Singapore) Pte Ltd (Singapore branch)
Innovative Noise
Management Merit Award
Figure 20: Mega Category Figure 24: Mega Category Figure 27: TEL C3 Contract T216
– TELC4 Contract T226 – TELC2 Contract T210 – Daewoo Engineering & Construction
– Taisei Corporation – Gammon Construction Limited Co., Ltd
Singapore branch
Figure 21: Minor Category
– Contract RP241
– Wan Sheng Hao Construction Pte Ltd
The Winners of ASAC 2017
6
Accident Free Million Man-Hours Award
Figure 28: Category 1 (For Contracts $120 million and above Figure 32: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved
that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract 973D
– TELC1 Contract T208 – Leighton John Holland Joint Venture – Samsung Bintai Kindenko Joint Venture
Figure 29: Category 1 (For Contracts $120 million and above Figure 33: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved
that achieved above 2 million accident free man-hours) above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract 975D
– TELC3 Contract T219 – Penta - Ocean Construction Co Ltd – Samsung Bintai Kindenko Joint Venture
- Bachy Soletanche Singapore Pte Ltd Joint Venture
Figure 30: Category 2 (For Contracts below $120 million Figure 34: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved
that achieved above 400,000 accident free man-hours) above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract 952
– Roads Contract ER432 – Eng Lee Engineering Pte Ltd – Siemens Rail Automation S.A.U. and Siemens Pte Ltd Consortium
Figure 31: Category 2 (For Contracts below $120 million Figure 35: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved
that achieved above 400,000 accident free man-hours) above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract 955
– Contract C158A – China State Construction Engineering – Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd
Corporation Ltd
The Winners of ASAC 2017
7
Figure 36: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved Figure 40: Interno Engineering (1996) Pte Ltd
above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract 960
– Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd
Figure 37: Category 3 (For E & M Contracts that achieved Figure 41: Sambo E & C Company
above 250,000 accident free man-hours) – Contract T250
– CTCI Corporation / CTCI Singapore Pte Ltd Consortium
QPS Safety Award
Figure 38: TELC4 Contract T225 / T226 Figure 42: Doo Ree Engineering & Trading Pte Ltd
– WorleyParsons Pte Ltd
Sub Contractors’ Safety Recognition Award
Figure 39: KTC Civil Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd
STEC - Safety Is My Responsibility
8
message that “SAFETY IS MY RESPONSIBILITY”. In STEC,
INTRODUCTION everyone is empowered to stop work at any time if any unsafe
work activity or condition is observed.
Since 1996, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. (Singapore)
Pte Ltd (STEC) has come a long way in the civil engineering
& construction industry in Singapore. STEC Deputy Chairman,
Mr. Jin Ai Ping and Managing Director, Mr. Khor Eng Leong
made their stance clear to the top management, as well as
to all its employees and stakeholders that Workplace Safety,
Health & Environment (WSHE) is an integral part and a top
priority in STEC’s business.
STEC strongly believes that all projects can be completed
on time without any lost time incidents through continuous
improvement in WSHE standards. STEC began the journey
towards WSHE excellence by building cohesive bonds,
positive understanding and trust amongst all its employees
and stakeholders.
Figure 3: “Safety Is My Responsibility” Banner Display
STEC is committed to fully support LTA’s “ZERO ACCIDENT
MOVEMENT” and MOM’s “VISION ZERO”. Since embarking
on the WSH journey as a bizSAFE Partner in 2010, STEC BUILDING COMPETENCY
have been inspired to change the way they work with their
business partners, stakeholders and subcontractors.
STEC’s WSHE mission starts with building the competency of
its workforce. For STEC, it is mandatory for all site personnel
to be properly trained in WSHE prior to commencing any work
on site. Workers behaviour on the job is significantly influenced
by the way their supervisors think and act about safety, thus
supervisors play a significant role in cultivating a robust WSHE
culture among the workforce.
Mandatory In-house WSHE workshops are conducted for
supervisors to equip them with the necessary knowledge to
identify and deal with potential WSHE hazards. Competency
assessments through pre-work interviews are carried out to
measure workers’ WSH performance. On top of that, daily
health checks are conducted to ensure workers are fit for their
Figure 1: Top management commitment
assigned jobs.
- Shanghai HQ Chairman Visit
Due to its strong WSHE culture and concerted teamwork, ENHANCING WSHE TRAINING
Project T225 was honoured to be nominated as an ASAC & PROMOTION
Finalists in 2016 & 2017. Besides being awarded the Best
Theme Presentation for 2 consecutive years, Project T225
was also crowned ASAC Champion in 2017. To upkeep good WSHE standards, STEC organises annual
WSHE promotional and training programs for all its projects.
Its top management also actively participates in WSHE
promotional activities, including monthly mass safety talks,
safety time-outs and WSHE competitions.
Figure 2: Sharing of Joy for LTA - ASAC 2017 Awards
STEC continues to improve its WSHE standards by being Figure 4: Project Director’s Participation in WSHE Road Show
proactive and positive towards the implementation of an
effective WSHE Management System. To nurture STEC’s
WSHE culture, the company has implemented several As a bizSAFE Partner, STEC takes extra steps to keep their
initiatives to help achieve WSHE excellence. workers safe by ensuring its workers are equipped with proper
knowledge and skills for every job undertaken. By educating
workers about the occupational hazards, workers became
TAKING OWNERSHIP IN SAFETY more conscious of the risks involved with the works.
Project T225 has conducted a spectrum of real-situation
All workplace accidents are preventable if everyone takes training, targeting at various trades and personnel of different
ownership in safety. Each of us has a responsibility to work levels. This includes hands-on demonstration which allows
safely, and to make our workplace safer by bringing across the workers to familiarise with the tools and equipment that they
STEC - Safety Is My Responsibility
9
will be using. Workers can better understand the hazards its management. By getting staff involved in WSHE matters,
involved in their work which is the very first step towards an the engagement sessions help to build mutual trust and
accident free worksite. confidence across all levels.
At Project T225, all personnel are encouraged to report any
near miss and ill health condition to their supervisors during
daily toolbox meetings which are conducted 3 times a day.
Near misses are reported via WhatsApp and has proven to
be an efficient communication tool as it allows the relevant
parties to take immediate actions. A reward system is also in
place to encourage more near miss reporting in promoting a
safer workplace.
STEC acknowledges that workers are the most valuable asset
of the company and they contribute to the company’s success.
At Project T225, STEC celebrated Labour Day with its workers
by providing food and entertainment. STEC believes that this
helps to foster a stronger bonding of trust and respect among
Figure 5: Hands-On Training on Safe Use of Machine its workers.
and Manual Handling
CORPORATE WSHE LEADERSHIP
At the corporate level, STEC shows its commitment towards
safety through its monthly WSHE cross inspections and
meetings helmed by it’s Managing Director. In addition, ad-
hoc night WSHE inspections are also conducted to ensure that
safety measures are in place and adhered to round the clock.
Figure 8: Project T225 Labour Day Celebration
At Project T225, a family photo banner comprising of site
personnel family photos is put up on site.
Figure 6:
Night WSHE
Inspections by PD &
Corporate WSHM
Additionally, a committee led by STEC Corporate WSHE
Manager, conducts bi-annual review for all projects to step
up control measures, share past safety performances, good
WSHE practices and lessons learned, and develop safety
initiatives to raise company’s WSHE standards.
Figure 9: Family photo banner display for constant reminder
CONCLUSION
STEC strongly believes that building a strong and positive
safety, health and environment oriented culture is necessary
in ensuring zero accident, and the very foundations of this
Figure 7: Project Director’s Participation in WSHE Road Show culture are embodied within its name:
• Safety is our Responsibility
• Targeting Zero Accident is our Priority
• Embracing Safety Challenge is a Necessity
ENGAGING WORKFORCE • Creating a Positive Safety Culture is our long team journey
FOR CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Active employee engagement is a critical element in Thant Zaw
ensuring workplace safety. To engage its workforce, STEC
has implemented the Project Director’s feedback session to WSHE Manager
allow site personnel to share WSHE and welfare issues with STEC Project T225
Quieter Noise Machinery and Study on
10 Boring Process to Reduce Noise Emission
INTRODUCTION HACKING
With the ongoing projects such as the Thomson-East Coast Hydraulic breakers are used in LTA worksites for the breaking
Line (TEL) and the upcoming North South Corridor (NSC), up of rock layers and demolition of concrete structures such
Jurong Regional Line (JRL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) as diaphragm wall (D-wall) and pile cap. This generates high
projects, it is imperative to take a holistic approach in exploring impact noise level of 91-96 dBA, which causes annoyance to
different methods of noise control, as there will be works stakeholders. Quieter alternatives to hydraulic breakers could
carried out in close proximity to residential and biodiversity be used and are as follows:
sensitive areas. Noise reduction can be carried out at source (i) Aqua Cutter
(machinery and equipment noise), and at the receiver’s end. (ii) Diamond Wire Saw Cutter
At the source, a common noise mitigation measure is to erect (iii) Hydraulic Splitter
noise enclosures around the machinery or equipment. Albeit (iv) Vibroripper
a simple measure to implement, there is a risk of overheating
the machinery or equipment due to insufficient ventilation. Aqua Cutter
To reduce noise emission more effectively, quieter construction The aqua cutter utilises a constant high pressure water jet
solutions need to be explored. While the use of quieter to cut reinforced concrete to expose rebars. This method
machineries on LTA sites can help to reduce noise emission, reduces the level and duration of impact noise as the water jet
the competency of operators and their common practices in produces a continuous and steady noise source, which causes
operating these machineries should also be looked into. less annoyance to the receiver. Other benefits include minimal
dust and vibration generated, and increased productivity as
From the public noise feedbacks received in 2016, the top three less manpower is required to operate the machine.
noisiest site activities identified in LTA worksites are: (i) Sieving
of excavated materials, (ii) Hacking, and (iii) Boring & Piling. The
following sections will highlight the quieter noise solutions for
contractors to adopt in their work sites.
SIEVING OF EXCAVATED MATERIALS
A noisy aspect of construction works is the separation of soil
from hardcore material for disposal. Contractors typically use
the skeleton bucket by shaking it repeatedly to sieve out the
soil, as shown in Figure 1. This generates high impact noise Figure 3: Aqua Cutter
level of 90 dBA, due to the clanging noise produced from the
impact of the joints of excavator arm and skeleton bucket. A Diamond Wire Saw Cutter
quieter alternative is the screening bucket.
The diamond wire saw cutter uses a wire saw to cut through
concrete or rocks, which reduces the level and duration of
impact noise. Thus, the perceived loudness decreases by
about 2 times. Other benefits are minimal dust and vibration
generated, as well as increased productivity.
Figure 1:
Excavator Skeleton
bucket
Screening Bucket
The screening bucket is an attachment affixed to the excavator Figure 4: Diamond Wire Saw and Diamond Wire Saw Cutter
arm, and consists of a rotating trommel screen to separate
out soil particles. This eliminates the clanging noise, thus
decreasing the perceived loudness by about 2 times. Other Hydraulic Splitter
benefits are increased productivity and minimal wear and tear
to excavator joints. The hydraulic splitter can either be hand-held or attached to an
excavator. It relies on the wedge principle to internally “split”
concrete or rocks, whereby a strong force is applied in pre-
drilled holes to create a shearing effect as shown in Figure
5. As this process is almost silent, impact noise is eliminated,
resulting in about 3-4 times decrease in perceived loudness.
Figure 2: Screening BucketQuieter Noise Machinery and Study on
Boring Process to Reduce Noise Emission
11
Noise Reduced Boring Tools
These tools help to reduce the noise originated from the boring
process. As shown in Figure 8 (left), the auger cleaner is a
secondary attachment used to scrape off soil from the auger
after boring. This reduces the need for “spin and lock” during
soil dislodgment. On the other hand, the noise dampened
Kelly bar Figure 8 (right) consists of sound absorbing pads
which are glued on the outer surface of the bar section. This
reduces the disturbing high-frequency noise generated by its
Figure 5: Hydraulic Splitter jerky movements.
Vibroripper
The vibroripper is an attachment on the excavator arm as
shown in Figure 6. Impact noise level is reduced though
the tearing and ripping of cracked or soft rocks through high
frequency vibration. Thus, the perceived loudness decreases
by about 3-4 times. Another benefit of the vibroripper is
increased productivity.
Figure 8: Auger cleaner (left),
1) Traditional Kelly bar and 2) Noise dampened Kelly bar (right)
Education
Educating operators is another essential approach to
encourage the appropriate use of machineries, thereby
Figure 6: Vibroripper
eliminating unnecessary noise emission. Figure 9 summarises
a list of dos and don’ts for operators to adopt during the bored
piling operation.
BORING & PILING
In the piling process, much of the noise is generated during the
soil dislodgement process. However, there are limited quieter
alternatives available and more effort is needed to explore other
noise mitigating measures. Some of the measures to reduce
noise generated from bored piling are elaborated below.
High Speed Discharge Rig
Traditionally, the boring rig operator uses the “spin and lock”
method, whereby he rotates the rotary head left and right
repeatedly to dislodge the soil. Due to the collision between
the “teeth” on the inside of the rotary head and on the Kelly bar
during spinning, a loud noise is generated.
To tackle this issue, the high speed discharge rig can be used Figure 9: Dos and Don’ts for boring rig operators
as an alternative. This piling rig is installed with a high-speed
discharge function for soil dislodgement, which spins 3 – 4
times faster than the normal rig. Also, the rig is able to spin CONCLUSION
in one direction and discharge soil from the driving tools. This
eliminates noise generated from the collision of the rotary
head and the Kelly bar. To reduce the impact of noise generated by construction
projects on stakeholders, Safety Division has been exploring
a wide range of quieter options for site application. For
example, noise level considerations are included in the
selection and approval of new machines and equipment on
site. Furthermore, LTA also believes that the use of quieter
machineries and construction methods are essential in
minimising disturbance caused to the public. Moving forward,
we will continue to explore and introduce feasible and quieter
construction options to attain LTA’s vision of achieving a low
noise construction site.
Loo Hong En
Deputy Environmental Manager
Dr Benny Tan Yong Liang
Assistant Environmental Manager
Figure 7: Rotary head (left), Kelly bar (right) Safety DivisionHuman Factors in Road Safety
12
b) Vehicle Factors
INTRODUCTION
Vehicle factors involves the following attributes: (1) lighting
We see an encouraging trend in the safety of road users (head / rear lighting, signaling); (2) display and controls; (3)
travelling on the carriageways in Singapore, with the number tyres and braking system; (4) wipers; and (5) conspicuity of
of fatal road accidents from 2011 to 2016 having decreased vehicle (vehicle body paintwork).
from 192 to 140 (Figure 1). Nonetheless, we should continue to
strive to further reduce the statistics to achieve zero accident. c) Road Environment
For this reason, we will identify the major factors that cause road
accidents and provide some examples which could mitigate the Road environment encompasses elements such as (1)
issues faced and help improve the road safety condition. legibility of traffic signs and traffic control devices; (2)
street furniture and landscaping; (3) pavement condition;
(4) road alignment and junction layout; (5) street lighting
and pavement delineation; and (6) roadside hazard
management system.
d) Weather Conditions
Weather conditions similar to the road environment,
have a direct impact on the safety of road users. Adverse
weather conditions such as heavy downpours, fog and
mist will reduce road users’ visibility. Wet surface reduces
skid resistance and strong wind destabilises the vehicle.
Driving under blinding sun glare and high heat condition
affect driver’s visibility and concentration.
Studies have shown that about 90 percent of road accidents
are due to human behaviour. The statistics provided by TP
Figure 1: Number of fatal accidents by year1 also showed similar trend. Hence, it is crucial to understand
how human factors in the road environment can affect road
safety, and the relevant measures put in place to address the
Causes of Road Accidents potential safety issues and to enhance road safety.
HUMAN FACTORS IN ROAD SAFETY
Human factors in road safety had been discussed as early as
in the 1970s. These human factors relate to the road users’
abilities, characteristics and behaviours as described earlier
when using the road in the capacity as a driver, motorcyclist,
cyclist or pedestrian. In general, different road users have
varied abilities and experience in controlling the vehicles
and recognising road hazards. They possess different
characteristics and manifest their behaviours in many ways
on the road.
Younger road users have limited ability to recognise road
Figure 2: Causes of accidents2 hazards and are more likely to be impulsive, hence under-
estimating the accident risk. For the elderly, they are prone to
reduced mobility, reduced visual field and often require longer
The causes of road accidents in Singapore gathered from perception-reaction time leading to slower decision making.
Traffic Police (TP) are shown in Figure 2 above. These They are always adverse to walking longer route and tend to
accident causation factors are similar to those highlighted in choose the most direct paths. On-going education on road
the road safety engineering literatures. The primary causes of safety is conducted for the public and regular enforcement by
accidents can be broadly categorised into three main groups, TP is carried out on errant drivers and pedestrians who flouted
namely road users (human factors), vehicles factors and road the traffic rules to address the undesirable human behaviour.
environment and these factors are further inter-related with the
weather conditions. The following information presents the effect which some of the
identified human factors have on road safety when performing
a) Road Users (Human Factors) the driving task, riding task and using the road as a pedestrian.
Road users or human factors take into account the following Motorists3: What affects the Driving Task?
characteristics of the person using the road: (1) reaction
times; (2) driving skills; (3) visual field; (4) memory; (5) The driving task of a motorist involves timely decision making
body coordination; (6) mobility; (7) motion sensitivity; (8) whereby motorists are required to gather information, process
decision making ability; and (9) risk perception. information and execute tasks.
a) Expectation of events / road conditions
1
Traffic Police’s Annual Road Traffic Situation 2016
2
Singapore Public Data – Causes of accidents by severity of injury Motorists are familiar with the roads from past experiences
sustained and expect lane arrangement and traffic conditions to be
3
Motorists are defined as drivers of vehicles including power- similar as they drive on the road.
assisted bicycles and bicycles used on any road.Human Factors in Road Safety
13
signs. The information gathering is limited by the ability to
move the head and refocus of the eyes. Having warning
or direction signs placed too close or contain too many
legends is likely to result in information missed out or
ignored as they are unable to be gathered and processed
Figure 3: Road layout before traffic diversion by motorists at the particular travelling speed.
With traffic diversion implemented, motorists could likely
be unfamiliar with the new layout and lane arrangement
which required a change of travel path (e.g. bends and
bifurcation introduced).
Figure 7:
Warning signs for
temporary road works
at intervals adjusted for
Figure 4: Road layout after traffic diversion posted speed
due to temporary construction works
d) Short term memory
Hence, a driver’s expectations shall be managed by
avoiding surprises and maintaining similar driving In carrying out driving tasks, motorists utilise short term
conditions as much as possible. Adequate measures and memory to temporarily store the information such as signs,
information should be provided to inform motorists of the signals, pavement markings, other vehicles, pedestrians,
changes in advance such that they are prepared for the etc. to be processed. Therefore, motorists are constantly
new layout and be able to navigate through the traffic reminded of information which varies along the road such
diversion safely. Physical guidance such as warning signs as speed limit signs and lane destination / directional
and lane destination indication signs, delineation and lane signs to maintain guidance and prevent last minute erratic
markings are thus installed for these purposes. actions.
e) Reaction time
The motorists’ reaction time (time taken between registering
a ‘signal’ and carrying out the corresponding reaction) is
the critical period whereby one processes the information
gathered, decide on the course of action and execute the
task(s). Longer reaction time will decrease time available to
attend to other information or carry out any action to avoid an
Figure 5: Traffic signs displayed along roads accident. Reaction time can be reduced via (1) encourage
to warn motorists of impending road diversion familiarity; (2) minimise the number of alternatives; (3)
provide positive information; (4) provide prior warning; (5)
b) Visual field on the road environment provide clear sight distance; and (6) use of symbolic signs.
Motorists rely 90% on visual characteristics and 10% on Pedestrians: What affects walking / road crossing?
other senses to gather information. Visual field which is
the area visible to motorists using their peripheral vision Conflicts often occur between pedestrians and motorists
decreases as the travelling speed increases. Traffic signs at the traffic junctions and other road locations away from
and devices have to be located close to the carriageway pedestrian crossing. Elderly pedestrian is hit by vehicle as he /
within the motorist’s field of view based on the posted she cannot complete the road crossing due to slow and weak
speed limit of the road. walking ability. Some may be less aware of oncoming vehicles
due to deterioration of hearing or poorer vision with age. With
increased use of electronic devices such as mobile phones,
handheld devices and headphones, pedestrians are distracted
during walking which in turn, poses higher accident risk.
CONCLUSION
Understanding the human factors that affect the safety of
motorists and pedestrians travelling on the road will certainly
will enhance the knowledge for traffic designer and auditor.
Though standards and guidelines generally take into
Field of view 20km/h Field of view 60km/h consideration human characteristics, it is still important to
Field of view 40km/h Field of view 80km/h recognise and incorporate human factors into the planning,
Based on Leutzbach and Papavasiliou, 1988 design, implementation, operation and maintenance of the
road system to reduce potential traffic accidents.
Figure 6: Driver’s visual field decreases
with increased speed of travel
c) Body coordination
Dr Ho Sze Hwee
When presented with more than 1 sign along the road, Deputy Road System Safety Manager
motorists need to move his / her head and eyes to focus Safety Division
on the next sign after reading the legends of the previousSafety Systems For Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
14
INTRODUCTION
The Sentosa Gateway Tunnel was opened on 27 April 2017. It
is a one-way tunnel connecting outbound traffic from Sentosa
Island directly to Keppel Road and Lower Delta Road and
helps to alleviate congestion at the busy at-grade junctions
at Sentosa Gateway, Telok Blangah Road, Kampong Bahru
Road and Lower Delta Road.
For the Sentosa Gateway Tunnel Project, there were
engineering considerations as its tunnel location is in close
proximity to the North East Line MRT tunnels and the West
Coast Highway viaduct foundations. Therefore, the tunnel
portal has to be constructed with a limited headroom of 3.5m.
In view of the height constraints, only cars and motorcycles
are permitted to use the tunnel.
Similar to the other road tunnels in Singapore, the Sentosa
Gateway Tunnel is equipped with various systems to ensure
the safety of tunnel users. These systems form part of the
Integrated Traffic and Plant Management System (ITPMS)
to ensure the safety of tunnel users. It includes the following
systems:
a) Traffic Control Management System (TCMS) Figure 2: Tunnel Control Management System
b) Tunnel Linear Heat Detectors (LHD) in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
c) Tunnel Ventilation System (TVS)
d) Tunnel Deluge System b) Tunnel Linear Heat Detectors (LHD)
e) Emergency Power and Lighting system
f) FM Radio re-Broadcast and Break-in (RBBI) facilities The LHD system is part of the tunnel fire alarm system which
g) Emergency Niches. provides early warning of fire incidents by continuously
monitoring the temperature in the tunnels. Alarm will be
activated when the temperature in the tunnel exceeds the pre-
INTEGRATED TRAFFIC AND PLANT set temperature or the rate of temperature increase exceeds
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ITPMS) the pre-set rate.
The ITPMS is an automatic computer control system that
allows the tunnel operator in the Operation Control Centre
(OCC) to centrally control and monitor traffic conditions and
Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) plants along the Sentosa
Gateway Tunnel.
Figure 3: Linear Heat Detectors in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
c) Tunnel Ventilation System (TVS)
Sentosa Gateway Tunnel is provided with a longitudinal
type TVS comprising of jet fans installed within niches along
the tunnel ceiling. During a fire emergency, the jet fans are
configured to extract the smoke towards the exit portal. This
will provide trapped motorists in the tunnel a smoke free
escape path and assist evacuees in identifying the emergency
Figure 1: Sentosa Gateway Tunnel Operation Control Centre
escape staircases and entry portal.
a) Traffic Control Management System (TCMS)
The TCMS allows the tunnel operator in the OCC to
continuously monitor and manage incidents and traffic within
the Sentosa Gateway Tunnel through various field equipment
which includes the following:
(i) Automatic Incident Detector Cameras
(ii) Closed Circuit Television Surveillance System
(iii) Traffic Display System
(iv) Entrance Ramp Barrier System
Figure 4: Tunnel Ventiliation System in Sentosa Gateway TunnelSafety Systems For Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
15
d) Tunnel Deluge System f) FM Radio re-Broadcast and Break-in (RBBI) facilities
The tunnel deluge system utilises a water-based extinguishing The RBBI facilities at OCC and Facility Building (FB) allow the
agent to slow or suppress fire growth rates and prevent the tunnel operator to make public announcements to motorists
spread of fire to other vehicles. Besides protecting the major through FM radio channels in the event of an emergency.
tunnel structure, it compliments the SCDF efforts in evacuation
and fire fighting during emergencies.
Coupled with TVS, the tunnel deluge system will also enhance
the overall incident management process in the event of a fire
as well.
Figure 8: Radio re-Broadcast and Break-in
Figure 5: Deluge system in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
e) Emergency Power and Lighting system g) Emergency Niches
The power supply to the Sentosa Gateway Tunnel is backed Emergency niches are provided in the Sentosa Gateway
up by a diesel generator system in the event where the main Tunnel at intervals of 50m. The provision of alarm bells and
power supply from SP Power Grid is disrupted. In addition, flashing beacon lights at the niches alert tunnel users of fire
an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) system ensures that situations. Manual call points are also installed in the tunnel
critical systems such as tunnel lighting are always available to allow tunnel users to alert the tunnel operator in case of
during emergency situations. any emgergency. Communication between the tunnel operator
and motorists can be established via the emergency phones
installed in the emergency niches. The niches also house the
deluge control valves, fire hydrants, hose reels and portable
fire extinguishers to facilitate fire fighting purposes.
Figure 6: Emergency power in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
Figure 9: Emergency Niches in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel
CONCLUSION
The various safety systems in place for the Sentosa Gateway
Tunnel are aligned with international best practices through
state of-the-art technologies. Effective and responsive tunnel
systems will play a critical role in ensuring safety and providing
a comfortable environment for motorists.
Chong Zhong Yang
Figure 7: Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) Principal Engineer
in Sentosa Gateway Tunnel Mechanical & Electrical Services DivisionEditorial Page
LTA 36TH SAFETY WORKSHOP AND
23RD CONSTRUCTION STAFF AWARD CEREMONY 1
The 36 Safety Workshop organise by Safety Division was held on 8th January 2018 at
th
the HSO Auditorium. It was attended by more than 100 officers from Rail, Roads
Projects and Engineering Groups.
At the Safety Workshop, LTA Chief Executive Mr Ngien Hoon Ping
emphasised on LTA’s safety acronym S.H.G, where S stands
for – Safety, H – Housekeeping and G – Ground leadership. He
urged staff to pay attention to safety and further iterated on the
need to keep the workplace tidy as good housekeeping contributes 3
to increased productivity and better WSH performance. Lastly, he also
highlighted the importance of strong ground leadership and encourage
staff to walk the ground regularly to eradicate any safety lapses.
2
There were four presentations shared at the Safety Workshop:
• Near Miss Reporting - Analysis of Data (Year 2016 / 2017) by LTA Deputy
Safety & Health Manager, Mr Kenneth Cheong
• Safety Considerations on Connection to a Live DTSS Tunnel Located 35m
Underground by LTA Executive Project Engineer, Ms Chew Jia Bei 5
• Presentation on the Safety Considerations for the Construction of Mined
Tunnels at T213 by LTA Senior Project Engineer, Mr Thiruvalluvan Karuppasamy
• Sharing of Crane Related Incidents and Initiatives to Leverage Technology to
Raise Crane Safety Standards by MOM, Senior Specialist (Engineering Safety),
Mr Ng Yi Hang 4
1. LTA Chief Executive, Mr Ngien Hoon Ping
2. LTA Deputy Safety & Health Manager,
Mr Kenneth Cheong
3. LTA Executive Project Engineer,
Ms Chew Jia Bei
4. LTA Senior Project Engineer,
Mr Thiruvalluvan Karuppasamy
5. MOM Senior Specialist (Engineering
Safety), Mr Ng Yi Hang
6. Winners of Construction Safety
6 & Environmental Award
Editorial Committee
Advisor Contributions or feedback to:
Corporate Safety Committee Land Transport Authority
Safety Division
Editors No. 1, Hampshire Road, Blk 5, Level 4, Singapore 219428
Phoa Hock Lye, Patrick Tel: (65) 6295 7392 Fax: (65) 6396 1188
Liu Weng Keong, Ian Email address: ian_LIU@lta.gov.sg
Lee Yu Qi, Jocelyn
Safety News is also available online at
Circulation Officer http://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/industry-matters safety-andhealth-and-
Zhuo Shumei environment/construction-safety-and-environment/safetynews.html
Writers
Marcello Cacioni
Thant Zaw
Loo Hong En or scan
Dr Benny Tan Yong Liang
Dr Ho Sze Hwee
Chong Zhong Yang
All Rights Reserved. No Part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of LTA.You can also read
