FACTORIES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading reed. 3.08 p.m.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour (Mr Fong Sip Chee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Honourable Members will recall that the Factories Act, 1973, was amended in March 1978, The amendments then provided for more stringent requirements on safety measures to be taken by the occupiers of factories for the safety, health and welfare of workers. They also provided for an increase in the maximum penalty for contravention of the provisions of the Factories Act, 1973, from a fine of $2,000 or an imprisonment not exceeding six months or both to a fine of $10,000 or an imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.

In the 17 months since these amendments were made, there has been very little improvement in the industrial safety situation. While the total number of industrial accidents reported to my Ministry decreased marginally by only 21 cases from 4,575 cases in 1977 to 4,554 cases in 1978, there has been a marked increase in the number of serious accidents despite the measures taken by the Factory Inspectorate to contain them. In this period the number of accidents resulting in the amputation of limbs increased from 135 to 156. Of greater concern, however, is the jump in the number of deaths which rose from 57 cases in 1977 to 131 last year. In particular, the number of industrial accidents causing multiple injuries and deaths continued to rise from 23 in 1977 to 25 in 1978, although an increase of only two cases, nevertheless they resulted in multiple deaths. The one which will remain long in the memory of hon. Members and the people of Singapore is the Spyros disaster which killed 76 and injured 69 others.

Those responsible for the Spyros disaster have been charged in court for contravening the provisions of the Factories Act and the Penal Code. The master of the vessel against whom a warrant of arrest has been issued, however, left the country before the warrant could be executed. Among those charged in court, except for one person whose case has yet to be heard, the penalty imposed ranged from a maximum fine of $10,000 to a maximum term of imprisonment of six months. Notwithstanding these penalties, the deterrent effect appears insufficient. This is evidenced by the occurrence of three serious accidents soon after the Spyros disaster, one in a construction worksite and two in shipyards. Each of these accidents claimed three lives.

Investigations into accidents in the recent past invariably showed a lack of concern for safety on the part of those responsible, despite the efforts of the Factory Inspectorate, in safety education and enforcement. We have to reverse this trend. Apart from the unnecessary human suffering and hardship caused to workers and their families, the economic cost of industrial accidents is unacceptably high.

Mr Speaker Sir, the Bill before the House now seeks to enhance the maximum penalty under the Factories Act, 1973. It amends section 82 of the Act by adding a sub-clause to provide for a maximum penalty of a fine not exceeding $25,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment for any offence which results in the death or serious injury to any person. It is hoped that this increased penalty will provide sufficient deterrence to those persons who disregard safety.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Fong Sip Chee].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.