By Aw Cheng Wei

SINGAPORE - Work has been suspended at six construction sites, following a three-week safety blitz, codenamed Operation Sunbird, by the Manpower Ministry.

Of the 214 worksites inspected, 191 had violated the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. A total of 272 non-compliance notices and 147 fines, amounting $156,000, were slapped on the errant companies, said the ministry on Tuesday.

Common infractions include unbarricaded areas along sides of buildings, missing toe-boards (which workers can fall through), and failure to provide safe access to scaffolding, inspectors found.

The operation, which ended in early February, was started this year (2015) after a spate of fatal accidents leading up to Chinese New Year, where companies have been found to rush work to meet deadlines.

- See more here