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Work safety law to be revised
Indah Setiawati , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 09/05/2008 11:29 AM | City
The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry will revise a law on workplace safety, after concluding existing prison sentences and fines for company violators are too lenient, an official says.
Under the current law, passed 38 years ago, violators face a Rp 100,000 (US$10.70) fine or three months' imprisonment.
"The fine is too low and we have a revision plan in place. We just registered it with the National Registration Program," Arief Supono, an official at the directorate for supervision of work safety and health norms at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry said Thursday.
Most violators of the regulation choose to pay the fine, he added.
Safety measures for employees working in Jakarta's skyscrapers have come under scrutiny following a series of accidents allegedly involving old and poorly maintained equipment, including platforms and elevators.
According to media reports, nine construction workers have died at four separate locations in the city, between March and August.
Last month, five men working on network television RCTI's broadcast tower died after the crane they were operating plummeted 50 meters as its sling snapped off.
Director general of manpower improvement and supervision at the ministry, I Gusti Made Arka, said his department would arrange a thorough inspection this month of work safety measures at all the city's multi-story buildings, following the fatal accidents.
The inspection will cover construction equipment used for worker safety, platforms and elevators, as well as workers' professionalism and insurance plans, he added.
"I suspect there are signs of negligence in the case of these accidents. Some of them were caused by worn-out metal cables or overweight equipment," Gusti said.
The upcoming inspection will not tolerate work safety violations, he added.
"As soon as we find equipment that fails to meet safety standards, we will take legal action," Gusti said.
Construction workers, including contract-based employees, deserve life and health insurance, he added.
"Of the 97 million employees working at 189,000 companies across the country, only 16 million are covered by Jamsostek (government-funded workplace insurance)," he said.
Gusti warned building owners and operators to use qualified construction companies with certified workers and proper equipment, as owners would be held responsible for negligence that costs the lives of workers.
No compromise has been reached between construction companies, building owners and victims' families to avoid legal action in the current accident cases, he added.
Instead, construction companies, employment firms and families of victims have opted to settle out of court.
"The ministry's officers will investigate the violation of manpower laws, while the police will proceed with legal action," Gusti said.
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