WSH Forum for WSHOs

Formwork Operation Findings and

Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to Formwork
31 Mar 2014
A Great Workforce A Great Workplace A Great Workforce A Great Workplace
Recent spate of formwork related accidents
Date of accident:
11 Jan 2014
Date of accident:
10 Jan 2014
MOMs Response
MOMs Response
ADVISORY FOR PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS ON FORMWORK SAFETY
PRESS RELEASE ON STEPPED UP
INSPECTIONS
Summary of Findings of Ops Formwork
529
Inspections
Conducted
No. of Inspections
Conducted
89
No. of companies visited
5
No. of companies visited
67
No. of BUS Companies
Inspected
6
Summary of Findings of Ops Formwork
No. of Notice of
Non-Compliance
69
No. of Stop Work Order
7
6
No. of Composition Fine
45
Total Amount of Fines
> $35,000
Breakdown of Key Contraventions
20
25
30
35
N
o
.

o
f

c
o
n
t
r
a
v
e
n
t
i
o
n
s
Types of Major Contraventions
Note: Some of the contraventions related to formwork activities have been issued
under the regulations for open sides/scaffold lapses
0
5
10
15
Work at Height
Lapses
Scaffold Lapses Electrical
Lapses
Housekeeping Formwork
lapses
Safe means of
access
Fall arrest
system
N
o
.

o
f

c
o
n
t
r
a
v
e
n
t
i
o
n
s
Key Areas of Concern for Issuance of SWO
5
6
7
8
0
1
2
3
4
5
Work at Height
Lapses
Scaffold Lapses Electrical Lapses Housekeeping Formwork lapses Safe means of
access
Fall arrest system
N
o
.

o
f

S
W
O
Types of Formwork Lapses
33%
17%
Formwork Design / PE COS
Formwork patent defects
Issues relating to:
25%
25%
Formwork patent defects
Formwork Supports &
Shores
Inspection by formwork
supervisor
Stop Work Order
Major Issues for Issuance of SWO
Formwork lapses
Poor construction of formwork
Formwork with patent defects
No PE design for the mixture of
conventional formwork and system
formwork
No means of access and egress for the
10
No means of access and egress for the
different levels of formwork
Working at Height
Lapses
Open sides
Ineffective barricades
Unsecured cover or no covers for floor
openings
Scaffold lapses
Scaffold without adequate guardrail
and toe-board
No stairs or ladders for access/egress
for scaffold
Working at Height without Fall Protection
No safe means of access egress
Inadequate Bracing
Patent Defects
Deviations from PE Design
Mixed and Matched Formwork Systems
SWO under Formwork Operations
On 20 Jan 2014, officers from MOMs Occupational Safety and
Health Inspectorate conducted an inspection at a workplace at 7
Gambas Ave. The inspection uncovered unsafe work at height,
unsafe formwork, and poor housekeeping leading to unsafe work
conditions. The development, which consisted of a 9-storey multiple
user light industrial development, was issued a Stop-Work Order
(SWO) on 20 Jan 2014.
17
(SWO) on 20 Jan 2014.
SWO under Formwork Operations
18
Open sides were not effectively guarded.
SWO under Formwork Operations
19
Ineffective guardrails, barricades provided. Gaps between guardrails were
above 600mm and mid rails were missing.
SWO under Formwork Operations
20
Floor openings were not adequately covered.
SWO under Formwork Operations
21
Poor housekeeping and obstructed passageways.
SWO under Formwork Operations
22
Defective falsework components.
SWO under Formwork Operations
Effective barricades/Handrails
23

Effective barricades/Handrails
provided
SWO under Formwork Operations
Openings properly secured and
24

Openings properly secured and
marked
SWO under Formwork Operations
Housekeeping at the worksite
25

Housekeeping at the worksite
improved
SWO under Formwork Operations
Falsework rectification done, with
26

Falsework rectification done, with
bracings properly installed and
defective components replaced.
SWO under Formwork Operations
On 22 Jan 2014, officers from MOMs Occupational Safety and
Health Inspectorate conducted an inspection at a workplace at Jalan
Loyang Besar. The inspection uncovered unsafe work at height,
unsafe formwork, unsafe scaffolds and unsafe means of access
leading to unsafe work conditions. The development, which consisted
of a condominium housing development with 4 blocks of 12 storey
and 3 blocks of 13 storey residential buildings, was issued a Stop-
27
and 3 blocks of 13 storey residential buildings, was issued a Stop-
Work Order (SWO) on 22 Jan 2014.
SWO under Formwork Operations
Open sides were not effectively guarded. No evidence of fall protection was
observed for the formwork structures.
28
SWO under Formwork Operations
29
Issues with work at height and unsafe access identified during the
inspection. Loose platforms with evidence of use was found at multiple
locations at the worksite.
SWO under Formwork Operations
30
Use of mixed and matched falsework systems. Areas of transition between
different falsework systems was without PE design.
SWO under Formwork Operations
31
Effective barricades/Handrails provided, provisions for fall
protection for workers working on formwork structures
provided. Loose platforms were removed.

SWO under Formwork Operations
PE design provided with proper assessment of the transition
32
PE design provided with proper assessment of the transition
between the different formwork systems. Additional props and
bracings provided as per the details of the professional engineer.

DUTIES OF OCCUPIER
Ensure that every formwork structure shall
(a) be of sound material, good construction and
adequate strength;
(b) be free from patent defect;
(c) be suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is
intended; and
(d) be properly braced or tied together so as to
maintain position and shape.
GENERAL Dismantling
- Dismantling of a formwork structure shall not
commence until the concrete is set;
-Materials dismantled shall be removed promptly or
stock-piled in areas where persons are not required to
work or pass;
- Protruding nails, wire ties and other form of
accessories not necessary to subsequent work shall be
pulled, cut or otherwise made safe.
Steel reinforcement
maintain position and shape.
Supports and shores
- Horizontal and diagonal bracing shall be
provided in both longitudinal and transverse
directions to provide stability and rigidity to any
formwork structure unless the formwork
structure has been designed to be stable and
rigid without the bracing;
- Shores shall be properly seated top and bottom
and shall be secured in place to prevent
displacement;
- Where the shores rest upon the ground, sole
plates shall be provided.
- All shores for the formwork structure in a
worksite shall be of adequate size and spacing.
Steel reinforcement
- Ensure that steel reinforcement for any column, wall,
floor or any other structure in the worksite is
adequately supported to prevent collapse.
Concrete work
Ensure that
- Placement of concrete shall not be carried out in such manner as
to affect the stability of the formwork structure;
- Where a formwork structure is designed by a PE, placement of
concrete shall not commence unless the formwork structure,
including any alteration, has been inspected and certified by the PE;
- No person shall be in the vicinity of a formwork structure in a
worksite during the placement of concrete unless his presence is
incidental to the concrete work in progress;
DUTIES OF
OCCUPIER
DUTIES OF OCCUPIER
Where a formwork structure in a worksite is
of 2 or more tiers, frames or shores
(a) the tiers, frames or shores shall be
securely and effectively connected
vertically;
(b) safe means of access to and around the
formwork structure shall be provided for the
purpose of inspection; and
(c) every designated access point shall
Reshoring
Ensure that:
- reshores are properly seated top and
bottom and shall be secured in place to
prevent displacement;
- where the reshores rest upon the ground,
sole plates shall be provided;
- the reshoring shall be inspected by the
formwork supervisor and the results of the
DUTIES OF OCCUPIER
(c) every designated access point shall
(i) be clearly marked with a sign or label;
and
(ii) be made safe for use by any person
using the access point.
formwork supervisor and the results of the
inspection shall be entered into a register.
DESIGN AND SUPERVISION
In Design
(a) design can be executed safely by any person who
constructs or uses the formwork structure; and
PE design required for a formwork
that:
(a) exceeds 9 metres in height;
(b) consists of any formwork
which is supported by shores
constructed in 2 or more tiers; or
(c) consists of any formwork
In a worksite, every formwork structure shall be
capable of sustaining the total dead, live and impact
loads imposed on the structure with a minimum
safety factor of 2.
DUTY OF OCCUPIER
constructs or uses the formwork structure; and
(b) provide design documentation (including all
relevant calculations, drawings and construction
procedures) to facilitate the proper construction
of the formwork structure.
In Supervision
ensure that the formwork structure
(i) is constructed in accordance with the design of the
professional engineer who designed it; and
(ii) is safe for its intended use when completely
constructed and if so, issue a certificate stating that
the formwork structure is safe for its intended use.
(c) consists of any formwork
where the thickness of the slab or
beam to be cast in the formwork
exceeds 300 millimetres.
DUTY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
- Ensure that all components of the
formwork structure are properly erected,
seated, connected, braced and tied so as
to maintain its position and shape;
- To inspect the formwork structure upon
completion to ensure that it is in
accordance with the design and drawings
FORMWORK SUPERVISOR
DUTY OF FORMWORK SUPERVISOR
Appointment of formwork supervisor
- To appoint a formwork supervisor to
supervise the construction, erection,
alteration or dismantling of any formwork
structure in a worksite;
- To ensure that no person shall be
appointed as a formwork supervisor in a
DUTY OF EMPLOYER / PRINCIPAL
accordance with the design and drawings
for that formwork structure; and
- To immediately notify the occupier of the
worksite upon discovering any unsafe
condition.
Register
- Enter the results of the inspection into a
register;
- Keep the register at the worksite; and
- Produce the register for inspection upon
request by an inspector.
appointed as a formwork supervisor in a
worksite unless he has received adequate
safety and health training to familiarise him
with the hazards associated with the
construction, erection, alteration or
dismantling of the formwork structure and
the precautions to be observed.
- To ensure that no formwork structure shall
be constructed, erected, altered or
dismantled in a worksite except under the
immediate supervision of a formwork
supervisor.