UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

ENGINEERS lN
SOCIETY

CEM 582
 CHAPTER 6
Contemporary issues in ethics
and professionalism
Second Penang Bridge Ramp Collapsed
6 JUNE 2013
LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of the lecture the student should be able
to:
Classify the act of professional practitioners or

technical employees in Infrastructure services and

Maintenance works. (CO2:PO9)
Justify any action to be taken to ensure safety,

health and welfare of the public. (CO2:PO9)

INTRODUCTION
The section of the Second Penang Bridge that
collapsed was the Batu Maung Interchange, a
separate package from the main bridge,
undertaken by local contractor Cergas Murni Sdn
Bhd.
The RM152 million interchange project involves the
construction of four directional ramps to form the Batu
Maung Interchange to connect the existing Bayan
Lepas Expressway to the Second Penang Bridge and
marine main bridge.
 The interchange was originally expected to be
completed in December last year but it was delayed
and the latest completion date was slotted for next
month
Victim
In this incident, two foreign construction site workers
and a female motorist were injured when the section
of the ramp collapsed

former policeman Tajudin Zainal Abidin was crushed

when the ramp collapsed at 7.15pm, killing him
CAUSES
could be due to a defect or failure of the formwork
support

initial investigation by DOSH would focus on the

failure of the support

Wrong design or installation and lack of

maintenance will cause the bridge to collapse
ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

conduct a full safety check, not only on this section,

but the whole bridge span

ministry SHOULD also appoint an independent

consultant to conduct safety audits on the project as
public safety is paramount
ACTION TAKEN BY DOSH
DOSH will investigate factors contributing to the
collapse, worker competency, management of
contractors and whether work procedures were
adhered to

They will also look at standard operating

procedures, materials used and whether the
scaffolding complied with national standards
PENALIZATION
According to DOSH - The contractor will be
charged in court if they did not comply with the
safety measures required (for the formwork
support)

those found responsible for the incident could be

charged under the Occupational Safety and Health
Act 1994 if they had failed to adhere to provisions