Barring Companies with Safety Lapses from Public Project Tenders for Longer Duration

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport whether contractors who have a record of safety lapses or who have been blacklisted by the Ministry of Manpower for safety lapses can be made ineligible to tender for public infrastructure projects for a longer period of time to ensure that all contractors take building quality and safety seriously.

The Standing Committee on Debarment, which consists of representatives from various agencies, decides on all cases of debarment of contractors from participating in tenders by Government agencies. Contractors may be debarred on safety grounds, such as when a contractor had been blacklisted by the Ministry of Manpower due to breaches of workplace safety and health laws. The period of debarment depends on the severity of each case.

For land transport infrastructure projects, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) follows the whole-of-Government framework for debarment. In addition, LTA scrutinises contractors’ safety records and may disqualify bids by contractors with poor safety performance.