Is working in rubbish chute like this safe? 'If heavy items fall from high floor, helmet not enough to protect them'
An Ang Mo Kio resident is concerned for the safety of workers involved in upgrading works in the area.
Stomper KL shared a video of a man in a safety helmet working inside a rubbish chute of an HDB block on April 25.
"If heavy items fall from a high floor, a helmet is not enough to protect them at all," said the Stomper, who feared that residents might still be using the rubbish chute while someone was working inside.
He explained: "Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 has been undergoing quite major upgrading for the past four years. This year, the town council is doing repair works for the rubbish chutes.
"One month ago, when workers had to enter the whole column to repair the chute of every unit, there was a letter at our door to inform us to stop using the chutes for some days.
"Now they are repairing the ground-floor chute internally and tiling at the chute door. We did not receive any information as to when the workers would repair which chute or when we should stop throwing rubbish into the chute.
"The workers seemed to be doing it on an ad hoc basis without a stipulated time frame for each ground-floor chute.
"I called Ang Mo Kio Town Council and they said as long as the workers are wearing helmets, it's okay."
But the Stomper remained concerned.
"Looking across the opposite block, I can see the workers going in and out of the chute opening to do cementing and tiling works without residents knowing what's going on downstairs," said the Stomper.
"The rubbish dumping in my area throughout the day can range from glass bottles to bulky items to heavy metallic materials as I can hear them falling down past my chute from time to time.
"If there are no measures in place to stop residents from throwing rubbish, who can guarantee the workers' safety? Every life is precious."
In response to a Stomp query, an Ang Mo Kio Town Council spokesperson said the town council is aware of the bin chute upgrading works at Blocks 559 and 561 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
"Notices were displayed on the lift lobby noticeboards of both blocks to inform residents of the ongoing retiling and waterproofing works.
"For blocks undergoing waterproofing, advisories were also put up to inform residents not to use the bins while the works were in progress," said the spokesperson.
"To ensure the safety of workers, a protective cover was installed above the bin chute area during the works. Workers also wore safety helmets and appropriate personal protective equipment while they carried out the works."
The town council added that upgrading works at both blocks were completed on April 28.
