31-Year-Old Worker Passes Away In Accident On 27 Dec, 45th Workplace Fatality This Year
UPDATE (4.38pm, 28 Dec): Police arrested a 62-year-old man for allegedly causing death by a negligent act in relation to the incident, according to The Straits Times. His role in the incident is unclear as of the time of writing.
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On Tuesday (27 Dec) morning, a 31-year-old Singaporean worker was struck and pinned by a toppled machine at a building near MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said he was conveyed to the hospital while unconscious and later passed away.
This brings the number of workplace fatalities this year to 45, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
Machine toppled & pinned worker
The fatal accident took place on Tuesday (27 Dec) around 7.53am at 601 Rifle Range Road, said MOM in a statement.
When a machine was being transferred by a forklift, it toppled, hit the worker, and pinned him under.
According to The Straits Times (ST), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call for assistance at 8.05am.
The work site, occupied by ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering, was near the start of a popular walking trail leading to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
After the accident, the 31-year-old was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in an unconscious state. He was subsequently pronounced dead.
The worker was employed by RCM Resources, a labour supply firm.
Site ccupier instructed to stop lifting operations
When using a forklift, a MOM spokesperson said it is critical to ensure forks are inserted underneath the load and the load is stable before being raised for transfer.
This prevents any accidental toppling of the load.
MOM has since instructed ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering, which occupies the site, to stop all lifting operations, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported.
ST Engineering said in a statement to ST that the company’s immediate priority is to provide assistance to the victim’s family.
It has assigned carers and professional counsellors to support them during this challenging time.
Worker’s death is 45th workplace fatality in 2022
The number of workplace fatalities in 2022 now stands at 45, exceeding the 37 recorded workplace deaths in 2021.
This is also the highest number since 2016 when there were 66 workplace fatalities.
In 2020 and 2019, there were 30 and 39 fatalities respectively, reported ST.
To address the recent spade of workplace fatalities, MOM previously called for a six-month heightened safety period from 1 Sep 2022 to 28 Feb 2023.
During this time, companies found to have committed serious workplace safety and health breaches after a serious or fatal workplace accident will be barred from hiring new foreign employees for up to three months.
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