Your view about the Singaporean safety incentive, as expressed in your “Comment” segment in the June 2004 issue deserves a mild rebuttal in my opinion. Safety should never be left to “expectation”, especially in tunnel construction. Safety has to be woven into the mindset of all involved parties and the “carrot and stick approach” can be very helpful to keep injuries and fatalities in tight check. Washington Metro; WMATA subway construction program bears the fact out that this approach can minimize injury hours and virtually, no actually, eliminate any potential for fatalities. Tunnel construction entails considerable risk as it is and wishful thinking would not ensure safety in my opinion.
Mohammad Irshad PE, FASCE
DIG Tunnel Consultants
