Construction firm fined $130,000 for repeated safety lapses
A construction firm that blatantly failed to protect its workers via repeated safety lapses was fined $130,000 last week, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday.
Kingsford Construction had earlier pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety and health of its employees under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
Multiple safety lapses were found on Oct 31, 2014, when it was carrying out construction works at Hillview Peak, a condominium.
These lapses included ledges and staircases that were not covered with protective guardrails or handrails.
It had also failed to provide emergency lighting in case of a power failure, and there were malfunctioning safety features in passenger and material hoists.
Kingsford was made to pay a $10,000 composition fine and was issued a stop-work order, which was lifted only 18 days later after the lapses were rectified.
Yet on May 21, 2015, similar lapses were found and the firm was fined another $19,000.
The same problems were again uncovered by MOM on June 8 last year and Kingsford was later charged in court.
Kingsford Construction could not be reached for comment.
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