AI-powered CCTV cuts unsafe acts and speeds up intervention at high-risk construction zones
Construction safety in Singapore is entering a new phase, with artificial intelligence quietly watching over some of the country’s most complex infrastructure projects. At the heart of this shift is a pilot surveillance system designed not to punish workers, but to prevent accidents before they happen.
AI Surveillance Enters MRT Construction
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been trialling an AI-powered surveillance system known as SafeSite Video Analytics at the Pasir Ris construction site for the Cross Island Line (CRL) Punggol extension since August 2025. The six-hectare site currently has 31 CCTV cameras, with 10 equipped with AI capabilities to detect unsafe behavior in real time.
Real-Time Detection of Unsafe Acts
The system can identify hazards such as workers operating without helmets, unauthorized entry into high-risk zones, proximity to moving machinery, or standing beneath suspended loads like cranes. When a violation occurs, supervisors receive an alert within seconds via Telegram, along with a short video clip, enabling immediate corrective action.
Centralized Monitoring Across Agencies
AI-enabled cameras are installed in high-risk areas including pedestrian walkways, vehicle routes, and site perimeters. Footage is analyzed through a centralized dashboard that allows agencies such as MOM and the Land Transport Authority, as well as contractors, to monitor safety conditions across multiple construction sites at the same time.
Expansion to Other CRL Stations
SafeSite will also be trialled at the Riviera MRT station, one of four stations along the CRL Punggol extension. Passenger service on the Cross Island Line, Singapore’s eighth MRT line, is expected to begin by 2032. Of the 124 CCTV cameras across CRL construction sites, only those in Pasir Ris currently use AI technology.
Reducing Human Error on Worksites
Workplace safety and health manager Farhan Shah Ghaffa said supervisors previously had to manually review hours of CCTV footage, a process that was labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error. Although the trial faced early challenges such as connectivity and camera maintenance, he noted that the system has significantly improved safety awareness among workers.
Linking Technology to Safer Outcomes
Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash, who introduced SafeSite in July 2025, said Singapore’s workplace fatality rate dropped to 0.96 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2025, the lowest since 2021. This amounted to 36 workplace deaths, down from 43 in 2024. He emphasized that while progress has been made, every fatality remains one too many.
A Blueprint for Future Construction Safety
Dinesh added that unsafe practices have declined at sites using the surveillance system, describing the cameras as a constant safety presence that reinforces proper behavior while improving productivity. MOM plans to compile insights from the trial into a practical playbook to guide developers and contractors in adopting similar systems nationwide.
The SafeSite trial signals how technology can reshape workplace safety without slowing progress. As Singapore expands its rail network and infrastructure ambitions, AI-driven oversight may become a critical tool in protecting workers while sustaining efficiency. For both Indonesians working in Singapore and regional partners observing these developments, the initiative highlights how smart infrastructure and human safety can move forward together.
Sources: Asia One (2026) , Straits Times (2026)
Keywords: AI Surveillance, Workplace Safety, MRT Construction, Ministry Of Manpower, Smart Infrastructure
