Grant extended for firms to install stability devices on lorry cranes

The stability control system is a proven safety feature that can be built into lorry cranes, and helps prevent tip-overs by calculating and restricting crane movements within a safe-lifting zone. (ST PHOTO: GIN TAY)

By Samantha Lee

July 11, 2025, 02:40 PM SGT, read on site.


SINGAPORE – In a continued effort to reduce worksite injuries and fatalities, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) grant that subsidises the installation of lorry crane stabiliser systems has received an additional $1.8 million funding and been extended by two years, to March 2027, but with a reduced subsidy of 50 per cent.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash announced the fresh funding and extension at the annual Environment, Health and Safety Campaign event on July 11, hosted by Singapore Contractors Association Limited at the BCA Academy.

Initially introduced in March 2023, the $4 million grant had previously funded 70 per cent of the installation fee, with a March 2025 deadline. It costs about $10,000 to install the system on one crane, and each company can receive up to $20,000 of funding.

The latest announcement comes as part of a slew of measures, including using new artificial intelligence (AI) technology, to boost workplace safety, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction.

Lorry cranes are truck-mounted cranes used for lifting and transporting heavy loads. They are fitted with stabilising legs or “outriggers” on each wheel to keep them from toppling over when loading or off-loading.

Typically, these cranes operate in public areas or tight spaces where full extension of outriggers is limited, compromising the stability of the crane.

To prevent such instances, the stability control system (SCS) is a proven safety feature that can be built into lorry cranes, and helps prevent tip-overs by calculating and restricting crane movements within a safe-lifting zone.

If a crane attempts to operate in unstable conditions, the system issues an alarm, automatically cutting off further movement.

Installation of the SCS became mandatory for all newly registered cranes from Jan 1.

According to MOM statistics, 60 per cent of lorry crane-related incidents from the past decade could have been prevented if the SCS had been installed.

Of the roughly 2,900 registered cranes in Singapore, about half have the system. The grant extension hopes to encourage more existing cranes to be equipped with the system, Mr Dinesh said.

MOM’s most recent statistic reported that between 2020 and 2024, there were 14 dangerous occurrences involving lorry cranes, resulting in two fatalities.

The ministry also reported that in 2024, workplace deaths rose to 43, up from 36 the year before. Of the deaths, the collapse or breakdown of structures and equipment were a leading cause.

Overall, the fatal injury rate in construction has decreased by more than 30 per cent in the last decade, from 5.4 per 100,000 workers in 2015, to 3.7 in 2024. MOM aims to reduce the number to below one by 2028.

Mr Solaiyan Gopalakrishnan, a lorry crane operator at landscape planting, care and maintenance company Treetop Landscaping, told The Straits Times at a July 9 showcasing of the SCS that he used to manually judge whether a load was safe to lift. With the new system, he said he feels much safer. “If anything goes wrong, there is an auto-sensor,” he said.

A Treetop Landscaping spokesperson said they currently have three lorry cranes, all newly installed with SCS courtesy of the 2024 grant.

As at June 30, 2025, MOM said it has provided funding for about 500 companies to install SCS in over 600 cranes.

With major building projects scheduled, such as Changi Airport Terminal 5 and a new tower at integrated resort Marina Bay Sands, Mr Dinesh said Singapore’s increasing construction demand “must never come at the cost of workers’ lives and limbs”.

He emphasised MOM’s push to use technology to reduce the risk of injuries and accidents. At the event, he introduced two new AI projects aimed at improving worksite supervision.

The first, SafeSite VA, is a surveillance system that helps detect hazards across multiple worksites simultaneously to send quicker safety alerts.

The second, AISpot, is a generative AI tool developed in partnership with A*Star, which is being designed to more accurately flag hazards in photo or video footage. It hopes, Mr Dinesh said, to match the accuracy of a human inspector, although this is still a “stretch goal”.

At the July 11 event, nine individuals and companies were given awards for their contributions to workplace safety.

One winner, Mr Manevali Venkadesan Maran, a supervisor at local construction company Straits Construction, was recognised for introducing simple but effective safety improvements on-site, such as colour-coded access points and stronger safety barriers. He was also praised for hosting regular meetings with workers to encourage open communication.

Mr Dinesh said: “Sometimes our workers will know the issues, but they tend to keep quiet. Could be language barriers. Could be the fact that our supervisors and leadership are not listening.

“I think when you create a culture of open dialogue, that’s when safety outcomes tremendously increase.”


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