More new hires but they lack experience needed for complex jobs
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2014
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2014
And while the rules allow for four foreign hires to every one local hire today, they will be tightened to a ratio of two to one by 2017, and that could worsen the crunch, said Singapore Crane Association chairman Alan Chan.
There are about 6,000 crane operators today, almost twice the 3,600 reported by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a blog post he wrote last year about the manpower shortage for building new Housing Board flats.
But while the increase in operator numbers is encouraging, construction companies told The Straits Times a "gaping" need remains for workers with at least five years' experience, an industry standard.
This is because high-risk projects, particularly those in populated areas, require "much more careful handling", said Mr Belvin Tan, 47, safety manager of Yau Lee Construction. It will take time to bring the new pool of hires up to standard, he added.
The need is made even more pressing by the ageing pool of operators, more than 40 per cent of whom are above the age of 50.
Many will find it hard to continue working with increasing age and its impact on eyesight, and chronic illnesses like heart conditions and high blood pressure, said Mr Chan.
Though the association does not have concrete figures, Mr Chan said the attrition rate due to health conditions is "quite high".
Ageing crane operators may also find it harder to renew their Class 5 driving licences needed to operate mobile cranes after the age of 65, which would further shrink the pool.
Though the Monetary Authority of Singapore lowered its forecast for the growth of the construction sector earlier this month after an industry poll, insiders say about 800 to 1,200 more crane operators are still needed.
The good news is that 1,500 people attended the second annual crane carnival held on Sunday and 226 people registered their interest in joining the profession.
The good news is that 1,500 people attended the second annual crane carnival held on Sunday and 226 people registered their interest in joining the profession.
Last year, fewer than 200 people out of 800 who attended the carnival signed up for interviews with crane renting companies and the Building and Construction Authority's Crane Apprenticeship Programme.
Until now, Singaporeans have not been willing to step into the breach, because of the tough working environment of construction sites, society's perception of crane operators as manual labourers and safety concerns.
Until now, Singaporeans have not been willing to step into the breach, because of the tough working environment of construction sites, society's perception of crane operators as manual labourers and safety concerns.
"But today's operators work in a high-tech environment with air-conditioned cabins and touchscreens," said Mr Chan.
Something else that might help the search for qualified operators is a registry and accreditation system, said Huationg general manager Jimmy Chua, 54.
The registry would include details on licensed operators' training records and the number of hours they have worked on sites.
This could help change the mindset that a crane operator who has held a licence longer is more experienced.
According to Mr Chua, there are some operators who have fewer than five years' working experience who have clocked more hours than their seniors.
Good pay, but recruiting staff still a tall order
By Ng Jun Sen, My Paper, 30 Sep 2014
By Ng Jun Sen, My Paper, 30 Sep 2014
So enamoured was he of the toys and heavy machinery at construction sites that being a crane operator became his ambition.
Now 24, Marcus Chee is one of the youngest crane operators in Singapore, having joined his current company after national service two years ago.
But before he joined, his parents had asked: "Why do you want to get into such a risky career?"
His friends in his mechanical-engineering diploma course also wondered why Mr Chee would want to join the construction industry.
He said: "They have the misconception that this is a low-paying blue-collar job. They don't know that this is a highly skilled job that commands quite a high pay."
To his parents, he answered: "I'm passionate about it."
Mr Chee is an exception in his industry as there are very few crane operators under the age of 30. He told The New Paper: "In this line, there are basically no crane operators of my generation at all."
Mr Chee works for Bok Seng Logistics, one of 30 crane companies at the Crane Carnival at the Institute of Technical Education Central on Sunday.
The event, attended by some 1,500 visitors, was for jobseekers and to correct the misconceptions about the work of crane operators.
It ended with 226 people registering their interest in becoming crane operators, said an event spokesman.
The unattractiveness of the job is part of the reason that crane companies are facing a manpower crunch.
Michael Ang, chief operating officer of heavy-lifting company Tiong Woon Corporation, said: "Many people think it's not a glamorous job, but that's not true.
"Crane operators are actually one of the highest paid and most skilled professions in the construction industry."
In Mr Ang's company, the monthly pay for crane operators ranges from just below $3,000 to $7,000.
Because of the relatively small pool of skilled crane operators, the poaching of staff is a serious problem in the industry, he added.
Mr Ang said: "A full training cycle for a crane operator to be able to use the heaviest equipment is eight years, which is a long time.
"This can be bad because other companies will use wages to poach people, which is also why crane operators are paid so much."
Of the 200 workers he employs here, most are Singaporeans over 50.
Of the 200 workers he employs here, most are Singaporeans over 50.
The lack of new blood also means that there are some who are in their 70s and still working, said Mr Ang.
Locals are highly prized in the industry these days as there has been a 45 per cent cut in the foreign manpower allocated to a project, said Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors Association.
THE NEW PAPER
79 firms fined or warned for crane-related safety violations
By Chang May Choon, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2014
SEVENTY-NINE companies have been fined or warned for unsafe crane operations, following checks by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in July and last month.
By Chang May Choon, The Straits Times, 30 Sep 2014
The ministry inspected 80 work sites during that period as part of "Operation Goldcrest", and found 194 crane-related violations of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act.
MOM has levied 98 composition fines totalling more than $95,000, and 96 notices of non-compliance to warn the firms against the safety lapses.
The operation was focused on unsafe lifting practices and crane operations in the construction industry.
The most common contravention was failure to maintain the cranes in good working condition, with 44 such cases found during the two-month crackdown. Some cranes were found to have corroded wire ropes, while others had defective safety devices.
There were also 39 offences where companies failed to implement proper lifting plans and 31 cases of using lifting gears that were defective or not certified by authorised examiners.
The ministry's Commissioner for WSH, Mr Ho Siong Hin, said that the crane industry's practices remain a "serious concern" and the onus is on companies to ensure that their cranes do not endanger workers or the public.
The ministry's Commissioner for WSH, Mr Ho Siong Hin, said that the crane industry's practices remain a "serious concern" and the onus is on companies to ensure that their cranes do not endanger workers or the public.
"MOM will take stern action against errant crane companies and occupiers," he said in a media statement. "All occupiers and crane owners ought to put in place robust maintenance regimes and safety systems so that we can put an end to unsafe lifting operations."
The construction sector has the worst safety record here, accounting for 33 out of the 59 workplace fatalities last year. Four such deaths were crane-related, according to the Workplace Safety and Health Report 2013.
The industry also recorded 164 major workplace injuries last year, the majority of which resulted from falling from heights, slipping or tripping, and being struck by falling objects.
There were also 2,423 minor work-related injuries last year, up from 1,928 cases in 2012.
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