THE engineering team behind the recent upgrading of Changi Airport's Terminal 2, has been recognised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for a job well done and for putting safety first.

RSP Planners, Architects and Engineers, beat 12 others to clinch the inaugural BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Awards 2008.

In a press statement on Tuesday, the BCA said the RSP team won the top award 'for the many measures that had been taken to ensure safety while the terminal continued with its round-the-clock operations'.

RSP's structural engineer Lai Huen Poh who oversaw the $240 million project which was completed in September 2006, likened the works to performing 'major invasive surgery while keeping the heart pumping, and with the patient alive and mobile.'

Some of the measures adopted to ensure passenger and visitor safety included building a temporary steel ceiling while work on the actual ceiling was being done, so that the construction was kept out of the public eye and there was no risk of falling debris.

Of the 15 nominations received, nine were short-listed.

Apart from the winning entry, six other teams were also honoured with merit awards.