I am sorry for the 10 construction workers who were killed when a beam collapsed at their construction site in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan on Tuesday.
Most of the victims were migrant workers from Cambodia and Myanmar who came here to work for a better life. Needless to say, they were the breadwinners of their families.
The accident underscores the problem of construction safety in Thailand. It is the kind of news we read quite often.
It seems that every time an industrial accident happens, labour experts and academics come out to give advice while state officials say they will investigate and find measures to prevent it from reoccurring.
Some academics might find fault with construction safety measures and propose corrections that mostly will be forgotten soon after the case dies down.
Looking back, I am not sure if any of those proposed measures have been implemented. I see hardly any improvement in the area of construction safety, especially after public attention evaporates.
This time, I have no idea how long public safety will continue to be an issue, given that most public attention these days is directed towards the political crisis. But if the problem is not addressed properly, we may see another tragedy soon.
I am not saying we can ensure 100% safety or always have zero accidents, but we can do it better if we avoid carelessness — and greed. I have never seen contractors properly penalised after a serious accident that causes casualties.
We should do whatever we can to improve our poor construction safety record. If we can do it this time, we will not have to feel sorry about loss of lives in the future.
More importantly, I think we should look beyond quick-fix solutions. What we need is to tighten construction-related laws and regulations.
Construction workers should be aware of safety on project sites. They must be required to wear construction helmets and other safety accessories in accordance with the laws. They must also refrain from drinking, or working too long.
Contractors must follow the rules strictly and do everything to meet construction safety requirements. Even better, they should go beyond what the law requires.
They should provide their workers with standard protection gear and ensure that scaffolding at the sites is strong enough for their workers to climb.
Some selfish contractors may argue that extra safety measures will cost more, which means dwindling profits.
There are cases of greedy contractors who chose to lower construction specifications by using smaller steel rods and bars and lower-strength concrete to minimise costs.
This will eventually affect the building structure and its weight-shouldering capacity, causing risk — both during construction and after the building is open for use.
Project developers should check the construction site to ensure contractors maintain safety standards.
If they find contractors are using sub-standard materials or are breaching the safety code, they must take necessary action.
Developers must not collude with the contractors to reduce construction specifications or we could end up with a disaster.
In such a case, workers and members of the public who use the building in the future could also end up suffering.
State officials must also play an active role. Those who have authority to maintain construction safety should step-up routine checks at sites.
They should check whether contractors follow construction safety requirements, and ensure workers are not forced to work beyond the required hours.
It would also be good if they could improve construction safety rules and regulations.
They should consult experts to strengthen laws and ensure stringent law enforcement, as that will benefit the overall construction industry.
Don’t let this issue fade from public attention without necessary steps being taken to improve construction safety. We do not want any more losses.
Krissana Parnsoonthorn is Deputy Business Editor, Bangkok Post.