Kuching Airport: Quality or Myth?

Global Upline Sdn Bhd, the turnkey contractor for the redevelopment of Kuching Airport (Extension) which is currently in progress has reported achievement of ZERO fatality for over two million man-hours. This was reported by their assistant project director Bobby Ting, the son of Tan Sri Ting Pek King, the superman of the construction industry.

The project contractor hoped that the key success areas were identified and strategies being planned. Its strategies would concentrate on three areas with special attention where all relevant parties would keep a watchful eye on one another with regards to safety. The three areas were any hazardous operations; any repetitive unsafe acts by workers; and any potentially hazardous conditions.

Bobby Ting said that its safety department would focus its safety campaign in these critical areas to ensure that the accident rate did not build up to a critical level.

The reported zero fatality of two million man-hours are applauding and an excellent record. The only question that arises is :

The project is only about one year and two months-old. On July 13, 2004 The Star reported of the project award by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas and slated to be completed by 2007.

Assuming the project do not work during holidays such as Chinese New Year, Gawai, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Merdeka day, Labour day; perhaps, the working days would only be about 330 days. We have to consider too, that each year, there are about at least 30 raining days. Then, 300 working days are more realistic.

Therefore, based on the information, it would mean that the project would have employed more than 833 workers for the full 14-months duration. From my observation over the last one year, of which I had been visiting Kuching every month, I don't seem to see there are more than 300 workers at this stage; and in the initial few months, there are less than 200 workers.

At such, I just wonder how the two million man-hours have been tabulated.

Even if we based on the full 365 days per year working days, the mathematics would have required an average of 142,857 man-hours per month, or 4,761 man-hours per day. If we based on an 8-hour working day, then the project must be having 595 workers each and every day for 365 days in a year, and for the full 424 days (14-months). The project records cannot take into consideration any man-days before the official contract award-date as this would amount to illegalilty and illegal possession of site.

I would like to congratulate Global Upline on their super-fantastic records, but I would appreciate if I can be given the records to tally the figures as it looks to me more of a myth rather than reality.

Speaking about safety on the project, I happen to be at the airport last month and this month, and I saw a few site staff of Global Upline walking along the passageway; they do not wear safety boots. I asked them, and was told that they have yet to received the boots from the management. I was told that they had been working there for more than 2-3 months.

The news and promotion campaign for safety and health control is encouraging but it is hope that we are hearing and will also be seeing that it is "Cakap Serupa Bikin".

We appreciate Bobby Ting and Global Upline are man of words and deeds; not just a sandiwara.

Some pictures of the current work progess at the airport (September 2005)