The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) announced that after conducting 900 inspections per week, more than 65 builders were found to have flouted safe management measures since the start of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) on May 16.

BCA stepped up its checks to ensure the Covid-19 transmission is reduced as much as possible, at about triple the number of regular checks per week in June 2020 (around 300).

Inspections are ongoing, which means that more such cases could be found. Some non-compliant acts that BCA officers noted include:

• Personnel not following safe-distancing rules.
• Personnel not wearing masks.
• No proper zonal segmentation for work sites.
• Non-approved workers carrying out work on site.
• Not appointing Safe Management Officers or Safe Distancing Officers to escort and supervise workers and site visitors.

Sites not adhering to the last requirement have been issued three-day Stop Work Orders.

In addition, BCA found that 26 builders allowed workers to enter sites without performing a SafeEntry check-in at the entrances.

These included two sites that let in workers that were later found to be Covid-19-positive, thereby exposing the rest of the workers to the risk of infection.

For this, three-day Stop Work Orders have also been issued.

The builders must review their Safe Management Measure plans, rectify the breaches, and submit a compliance report to BCA before work can continue.

Sites where Covid-19 cases are found will also need to undergo a thorough disinfection.

BCA added:

"As any non-compliance can easily undermine the efforts and good work of the rest of the industry in combating the transmission of COVID-19, BCA has heightened our enforcement stance against builders which are found to be non-compliant with Covid-19 laws.

Builders with worksites that are found to be non-compliant will be issued longer SWOs, composition fines up to S$2,000 or face prosecution."

Top image from BCA Facebook page.