Onus on bosses to ensure safety of maids

Families must have reasonable expectations, says MP

By Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 3 Apr 2012

WHEN a maid plunged 30 storeys to her death last Thursday, she became at least the third Indonesian domestic worker to die this way since the start of the year.

The three women had something else in common - they are all believed to have slipped while cleaning their employers' windows or putting out laundry.

Since as far back as 1989, there have been cases of maids falling in similar circumstances, sometimes while perching on ledges, stools or window sills.

And with employers saddled with much of the blame for the deaths, the onus is on them to make sure that their domestic helpers stay safe, Members of Parliament and maid agents told The Straits Times.

They said that families need to show more understanding towards their maids, who may not be accustomed to urban life.

Many come from rural areas and 'do not have the mindset of high-rise living', said Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng.



The 23-year-old woman who died last Thursday is believed to have slipped while cleaning windows at Telok Blangah Heights.

Last month, another Indonesian maid fell 13 storeys while putting the laundry out to dry in Pasir Ris.

In February, a domestic helper fell seven floors at a Jurong East condominium after reportedly losing her balance while cleaning windows.

Last year, 15 maids fell to their deaths. Some jumped, while others slipped while putting the laundry out to dry.

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Dr Chia Shi-Lu said some employers could be unaware of dangers in the home.

'They don't think of their house as a workplace,' he said.

'But actually, there are a lot of dangers.'

The orthopaedic surgeon said he sees many patients who have suffered falls at home. Other risks include electrical plugs, he said.

'The home has hazards... our emphasis on workplace safety can also be applied at home,' he added.

While new maids have to undergo training by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers need to check that they have understood the instructions, said a spokesman for the Bluesky Employment Agency.

Marine Parade GRC MP Dr Fatimah Lateef said families need to have reasonable expectations about what their domestic helpers can do.

The trend of installing fancy fixtures such as bay windows and doing away with window grilles could also be causing the high number of falls, said Dr Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors' Association. He added that there is no foolproof way to prevent someone falling.

Advertisements that tug at the heartstrings might be one way to prevent such deaths, said Mr Jeremy Khoo, executive director of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. He gave the example of the successful campaign to raise awareness of dengue fever.

Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), called for stricter rules and regulations.

This means including domestic workers in the Work Injury Compensation Act so they receive payouts in the event of death or injury, he said.

Cleaning windows in high-rise buildings should also not form part of maids' duties, he added. 'It is not worth risking someone's life over some dirt.'

But others say the responsibility cannot rest only on the shoulders of employers.

Developer Ritchie Chua, who has a domestic helper, said: 'Even if the employers warn the maids, they might not understand because they are not educated.'

The 43-year-old said he provides safety belts for workers on his construction sites - but they often remove them later, complaining that they are 'very troublesome'.

Maids may have a similar attitude, he said.

Today, the MOM is due to hold a media briefing on ensuring the safety of foreign domestic workers.

*Safety Begins at Home - The Manpower Blog

MOM to enhance safety training for foreign maids
by Tan Weizhen, TODAY, 3 Apr 2012

As it tackles the "puzzling phenomenon" of why maids continue to fall from windows despite its "best efforts" to educate both employers and workers, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) today issued a strong reminder to employers to be vigilant.

The ministry also emphasised that it will work even more closely with stakeholders - maid agencies and employers - to drive home the message. It will enhance safety training as it forms its new Settling-in Programme (SIP) to be launched by mid-year. For instance, as maids undergo safety training, those appearing to be encountering difficulties would be identified by course trainers, and employers would then be informed of their weak areas.

THE SIP is a course that equips maids with basic knowledge about living and working in Singapore.

This follows a fresh spate of falls - six cases in the first three months of this year, which the MOM said is a cause for concern. From 2007 to 2011, there were 24 cases of maids falling from high rise flats while cleaning windows or hanging laundry.

In a press briefing this afternoon, Mr Aw Kum Cheong, divisional director of MOM's foreign manpower division, said that employers are the most effective form of influence - even as it continues to educate the workers themselves.

Taking maids' death falls personally
Editorial, The Straits Times, 11 Apr 2012

THE accidental death of any of one's charges is an occasion for reflection. Even when all sensible precautions have been taken, a question ought to linger: Could more have been done? This should be the proper response to the rash of maids falling to their deaths while doing household work. To be sure, there are many employers here who do highlight common dangers and forbid unsafe work practices. Others, however, don't. At a Manpower Ministry briefing on violations of maid safety, a senior official surmised that a callous attitude could be a factor. 'There may be some who are simply very blase about the whole issue.' Although the number of death falls remains at under 10 each year - a fraction of the 206,000 maids here - there would have been many cases of risky practices which mercifully did not lead to fatal consequences. It is the recurrence of these accidents that calls for some collective soul-searching.

While Singaporeans might feel safe in their own homes, they must not take anything for granted when employing someone more used to a village setting. High-rise homes with modern conveniences are full of hazards; and maids who might be meek by nature or struggling with a new language will require considerable guidance. Some will take short cuts when doing work, while others will go overboard in an effort to please. To salve their conscience, employers might put accidents down to the maid's lack of education, an error of judgment, or her indifference to safety advice. But given the typical background of maids, employers ought to bear the main responsibility for ensuring that the home is accident-free.

Those who think otherwise should ask themselves whether they subliminally regard the lives of maids as cheap. Doing window jobs and stretching to put out the washing are the most common reasons for fatal falls not attributed to suicide. In each case, an employer was in a position to have prevented the accident but somehow didn't. Fourteen employers were fined in the last five years on charges of maid endangerment. They cannot hire maids ever again. It seems a small deprivation viewed against preventable loss of life.

Death falls in high-rise Hong Kong are not as common. This points to the wilful disregard for safety among some Singapore employers. It is not possible, of course, to prohibit such high-risk household chores. The number of fatalities will decline significantly only when employers take these accidents personally.