NOW & THEN #09: ACCIDENTS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES

 SUNDAY 4.3.2021

Another Preventable Tragedy on a Malaysian Construction Site

Yesterday, I received yet another piece of tragic news involving the SUKE Highway construction project. An oversized lorry crashed into the scaffolding of the elevated highway, causing it to collapse onto a passing van. Two innocent lives were lost. As a 69-year-old engineer with over 40 years of experience in the industry, I am both heartbroken and outraged. This was not just an accident—it was a preventable failure.

With proper design and engineering of scaffolding, this tragedy could have been mitigated, if not entirely avoided. But once again, we are reminded of how costly our ignorance and negligence can be.

Just a few months ago, a parapet wall from an elevated railway under construction fell and struck a car on the road below. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed that time. But again, basic construction safety protocols were ignored—there was no safety net, no containment. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was clearly compromised.

It pains me to say this, but a fool is born every day in Malaysia—and unfortunately, some of them end up in decision-making positions. Our cities are littered with poor judgment, and yes, some of it even resides inside our Parliament House. There are clowns among us, masquerading as leaders, while lives are at stake on our roads and work sites.

Looking back over the past two decades, I’ve read too many reports of similar accidents—each with the same root causes: human error, indifference, and a blatant disregard for safety. We have enough laws, regulations, and guidelines. What we lack is proper enforcement, competent site supervision, and experienced safety officers on the ground.

Currently, there are over 5,000 active construction sites across Malaysia, with a combined contract value exceeding RM50 billion. The question is: how do we ensure safety compliance across all these sites?

In the most recent SUKE incident, the lorry involved was not even part of the construction team. It was an unauthorized vehicle that intruded into a high-risk area. That site was located directly above a busy, active roadway. So here’s a critical question: Do we have comprehensive, enforceable safety guidelines for construction works being carried out over live traffic? If not, why not?

We teach architects and engineers all sorts of technical knowledge in universities, but most graduate without any real understanding of construction methodologies or site safety practices. They only begin to learn about these critical aspects once they start working. In reality, it’s the contractors—and their site supervisors—who lead the physical work. Architects and engineers typically serve in advisory or supervisory roles on technical matters.

And let’s be honest: the contractor’s priority is often to finish the project on time—or ahead of schedule—and to maximize profit. In the rush to meet deadlines, safety can be compromised. Corners are cut, mistakes are made, and lives are lost. As Murphy’s Law says: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

So, what lessons can we take from all these tragedies?

We need urgent reform—not just in policy, but in practice. We need better-trained safety officers, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and real accountability at every level. Because until we stop treating safety as an afterthought, more lives will be needlessly lost.