SINGAPORE - There has been a rise in workplace accidents at Land Transport Authority (LTA) sites in the first eight months of 2023, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Tuesday in the aftermath of two fatal mishaps last week.

Speaking at LTA’s yearly safety, health and environmental award convention at the Singapore Expo, Mr Chee noted that there were 33 workplace accidents at LTA sites between January and August.

This is 22 per cent higher than the 27 mishaps at such sites in the same period of 2022.

There were no deaths at LTA worksites in the first eight months of 2023.

When contacted, LTA was unable to provide accident figures so far for September.

But there were two reported fatalities last week.

Last Friday, a 45-year-old construction worker died in an accident on the Pan-Island Expressway towards Tuas. The Indian national was performing traffic controller duties for road surfacing works when a motorcycle crashed into him.

On Saturday, another accident at a North-South Corridor worksite in Cavenagh Road led to the death of a 41-year-old construction worker. A pallet of gas cylinders, which toppled during a lifting operation, struck the Bangladeshi worker.

The Straits Times earlier reported that the worker who died on Saturday was an employee of a subcontractor under Leighton-Yongnam Joint Venture (LYJV), the occupier of the worksite.

LYJV is a joint venture between Leighton Asia, a construction contractor, and steel contractor and civil engineering company Yongnam Holdings.

In response to ST’s queries, LTA said LYJV had withdrawn from Tuesday’s convention after the fatal accident at its worksite.

The Ministry of Manpower is investigating both accidents.

Urging vigilance and stronger safety practices, Mr Chee said he was saddened by the recent deaths.

He added t...