Worker Passes Away While Hacking Wall At Serangoon Gardens Home
In view of the rise in workplace deaths, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has imposed extra measures to protect workers.
Unfortunately, such tragic accidents continue to occur.
Last Friday (10 Jun), a 41-year-old Bangladeshi worker was hacking a wall at a landed house in Serangoon Gardens when it collapsed on him.
Source: Google Maps
Rescuers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is currently investigating the incident.
Wall collapses on worker at Serangoon Gardens house
According to The Straits Times (ST), a 41-year-old Bangladeshi worker passed away on Friday (10 Jun) as he was hacking a wall at a landed house at 44 Tai Hwan Heights.
Source: Workplace Safety and Health Council via The Straits Times
He was reportedly an employee of Sam Woo (S.E.A.).
As he was working on the wall in the Serangoon Gardens home, a part of it collapsed on him.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports that MOM was alerted to the accident at about 4.30pm. Unfortunately, SCDF rescuers who extricated him pronounced him dead at the scene.
MOM is currently investigating the incident and asked the occupier, Beow Hock Engineering, to stop all works at the site.
Companies should plan demolition works properly
CNA notes that this is the 26th workplace death in 2022.
Citing a Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) alert, ST reported measures companies should take to prevent similar accidents from happening again:
- Conduct a detailed survey assessing the structural stability of the building and surroundings before commencing demolition works
- Install additional supports if any part of a structure becomes unstable during demolition
- Adopt a top-down wall-hacking approach to reduce the possibility of a collapse
- Provide workers with the necessary personal protective equipment
- Have supervisors on-site to ensure that demolition works are carried out in line with safety measures
Furthermore, there are now harsher penalties for companies with poor WSH performances.
If authorities observe any offences during safety inspections, there will be a composition fine of up to S$5,000. This is double the previous amount.
Company instructed to stop all works on site
In response to queries from MS News, an MOM spokesperson confirmed that a fatal workplace accident had occurred at 44 Tai Hwan Heights on 10 Jun.
They have since instructed the occupier to cease all works at the site and are now investigating the incident. Here’s MOM’s statement in full:
There was a fatal workplace accident at 44 Tai Hwan Heights on 10 June 2022. MOM was alerted to it at around 4.30pm.
A 41-year-old Bangladeshi worker was hacking a wall in a landed private dwelling when part of the wall collapsed on him. He was extricated by SCDF rescuers and pronounced dead at the scene.
As a general safety measure, demolition works must be properly planned for structures to be demolished in a systematic manner.
The occupier is Beow Hock Engineering Pte Ltd and the employer of the deceased is Sam Woo (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd. MOM is investigating the accident and has instructed the Occupier to stop all works at the worksite.
To date, the total number of workplace fatalities in 2022 is 26.
Every workplace death is unacceptable
It is concerning how such workplace accidents are still happening, especially when many of them might’ve been preventable.
Hopefully, these incidents, along with the harsher penalties and clearer guidelines, will push companies to be more careful about their processes and take their workers’ safety more seriously.
MS News extends our condolences to the deceased’s loved ones. May he rest in peace.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Workplace Safety and Health Council via The Straits Times.
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