Prof.Dr Kriangsak urges PM to take responsibility for Crane - Road collapse, Call for safety standards

Lessons from the Road collapse and Crane collapse: Recurring incidents and Lack of Long-term prevention reflect trust in Thailand's safety standards.

Prof. Dr. Kriengsak Chareonwongsak, Chairman of the Nation-Building Institute and the Institute of Future Studies for Development, indicated that the road collapse and crane collapse accidents are not new, but rather ongoing incidents that reflect a lack of safety in Thailand. This has weakened public trust in Thailand's safety regulations. Statistics show a lack of safety in public areas in 2018- 2024, particularly the ongoing building project on Rama 2 Road, which caused 2,242 accidents, 132 deaths and 1,305 injuries.

"There is an urgent need to address construction safety concerns." A thoughtful and thorough strategy is required because these problems are avoidable, but no preventative measures are in place. The government and responsible agencies at all levels should learn from the crane collapse disaster and use it to correct and prevent similar accidents in the future. Repeating these mistakes would be irresponsible." Prof. Dr. Kriengsak said.

According to Prof. Dr. Kriengsak, every issue in the country must be addressed by responsible authorities and persons in a hierarchical order. Of course, the ultimate responsibility belongs with the Prime Minister, who must be held accountable for everything that occurs in Thailand, investigating at every level until the core cause of the problem and those responsible are uncovered. Pressuring everyone to resign does not constitute meaningful accountability.

"The PM should swiftly order an investigation into whether the government has put policies, rules and controls in place to meet standards, and whether the construction companies and subcontractors have done their duties to keep safety hazards from happening at every stage of the high-speed rail and Rama 2 motorway projects." He said.

As thus, when it comes to the safety of all Thais' lives and property, the Prime Minister must oversee and regulate all ministries in order to develop and implement the highest safety standards in all areas, as well as strengthen prevention to avoid recurring incidents.

Develop a contractor grading system for both the public - private sectors, Improving on the lessons learnt of other countries to set a minimum level for the entire system.

In particular, emphasis must be placed on ensuring that users of heavy machinery and construction cranes have specialised knowledge in accordance with international safety standards, as many cranes in Thailand have been in use for a long time and were purchased second-hand from other countries.

Professor Dr. Kriengsak stated that contractors working on both government and private sector projects must be monitored and their work history documented in a contractor logbook. A blacklist of inferior and dishonest contractors should be established, as well as a contractor grading system. To mitigate these risks, a mechanism for reporting danger areas should be established.Furthermore, Thailand should strive to be the safest country in the world in all aspects, drawing on worldwide best practices, particularly those deemed the safest, to establish fundamental norms throughout the system.

Therefore he urged in authority to hasten their duties and offer actual results, or present policies and commitments to ensure Thailand's security.Whoever performs well will receive public support in subsequent elections, whether it is the current or future government. Those who bear the burden of the nation can best rule it. Politicians and civil servants should not seek positions of prestige or personal benefit.

Instead, we must all do our tasks with dignity and responsibility at all levels, from the Prime Minister to the final citizen, to ensure Thailand has the highest public safety in the world," he emphasised. Finally, he urged the executive and operational sectors to collaborate at all three levels to encourage trust in Thailand.

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