Gov't Allows Work on 34 Elevated Infrastructure Projects to Proceed After Safety Audit
Jakarta. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing has allowed work on 34 elevated infrastructure construction projects to resume after the National Construction Safety Committee finalized a series of safety audits.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono last week announced the suspension of work on 36 projects, most of which involve transportation infrastructure, after several construction accidents in short succession.
The most recent accident, which brought the total for the past two years to 14, occurred just hours before the minister was to announce a suspension of work on the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu Toll Road project in East Jakarta following an accident that resulted in seven workers sustaining serious injuries when a concrete mold collapsed.
The committee, comprised of 70 construction experts from the ministry and independent consulting agencies, has since called on construction firms to re-evaluate their safety procedures.
"As of Feb. 27, contractors working on the 34 suspended projects have come to us and submit the required documents. They now can resume their projects after our evaluations," committee chairman Syarif Burhanuddin said in a statement received by the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday (28/02).
The committee confirmed that it has inspected some of the project sites.
The resumed projects include 30 toll road developments on Java Island, a double-double track railway development in Jakarta and three light rail transit sections in the greater Jakarta area and in Palembang, South Sumatra.
The committee has yet to assess the remaining two projects, which are the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road, developed by state-owned construction firm Hutama Karya, and the Cinere-Serpong Toll Road, being built by Cinere Serpong Jaya, a subsidiary of state-owned toll road operator Jasa Marga.
The committee assessed the projects on several criteria, including design, occupational health and safety, workers' certification, standardized heavy equipment, standardized raw materials, standardized technology, operational standards and procedures and the presence of supervising consultants.
"Supervising consultants must monitor the operations in detail. No work should proceed without permission from the consultants on each project," Syarif said.
"Speed [in completing the projects] is important, but safety should be the No. 1 priority," he added.
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