Ms. Trinuch Thienthong, Minister of Labour, disclosed details regarding the collapse of a dome roof structure at the Metropolitan Electricity Authority Training and Electrical Skills Testing Centre (Bang Phli), Soi National Housing Authority Bang Phli, Bang Sao Thong Sub-district, Bang Sao Thong District, Samut Prakan Province, which resulted in four workers being injured while on duty. She stated that reports from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare confirmed that the building belongs to S.R.N. Sivakarn Limited Partnership, and that all injured persons are employees of the company. The incident occurred while the employees were carrying out their duties. She has therefore instructed the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to assign safety inspectors from the Samut Prakan Provincial Office of Labour Protection and Welfare and the Occupational Safety Centre, Area 10, to urgently conduct an in-depth investigation into the cause of the accident.
The Labour Minister stated that over the past three months, there have been multiple work-related accidents, reflecting underlying issues in workplace safety standards, which fall under the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare’s responsibility. The Department must carry out its duties in accordance with the Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment Act B.E. 2554 (2011) and the Ministerial Regulation on Standards for Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment Management in Construction Work B.E. 2564 (2021).
“The laws under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour exist to supervise and prevent harm to employees and workers, and to ensure that employers comply with the law. They are not intended merely for enforcement after an offence has already been committed or losses have already occurred. In this matter, I have instructed the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to conduct inspections and urgently report the findings to the Minister of Labour,” Ms. Trinuch said. She added that, regarding the injured employees who are insured persons under the social security system, she has instructed that their entitlements be urgently verified. It has been confirmed that the Samut Prakan Provincial Social Security Office, Bang Sao Thong Branch, has already examined the case and verified that the injuries were sustained in work-related accidents. As such, the employees are entitled to compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Act B.E. 2537 (1994) and the Workmen’s Compensation Act (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018), including: reimbursement of actual medical expenses as necessary in accordance with ministerial regulations; compensation during medical leave under Section 18(1) at 70 per cent of wages for up to one year; and compensation in cases of loss of organs or loss of working capacity under Section 18(2) at 70 per cent of wages for up to ten years.
