In January last year, a construction worker fell to his death while painting the exterior wall of a condominium along Bedok Reservoir Road.
It was the first fatal workplace incident of 2023.
A coroner’s inquiry on Tuesday (16 Jan) found that the worker had taken off his safety gear prior to the incident.
Substances, including a drug that can be used to treat insomnia, were also found in his system. These may have impaired his balance and motor skills.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that Hla Thein Aung was painting the outside wall of a block at Waterfront Isle, a condominium on Bedok Reservoir Road, on 12 Jan 2023.
The 37-year-old was with a co-worker and fellow Myanmar national. They were both employed under ISOTeam C&P.
When they began work in the morning, they were wearing their safety equipment, including a helmet, harness, and boots.
They were also connected to a lifeline, which served as a personal fall protection system.
After their lunch break, Hla Thein Aung connected his harness to the aircon ledge railing instead of the lifeline.
His co-worker purportedly did not dare to correct him because Hla Thein Aung was more senior than him.
At around 3pm, the workers took another short break. When they went back to work, the co-worker noticed that Hla Thein Aung was not wearing a helmet.
A domestic helper who lived nearby corroborated this claim, saying that she noticed Hla Thein Aung without a helmet or safety line.
At one point, Hla Thein Aung decided to step out of the gondola — which was on the third level — and climb over a parapet wall to reach the floor above.
Hearing a loud bang at around 4.10pm, the other worker looked down to find Hla Thein Aung lying motionless on the ground in the basement.
The domestic helper also heard the noise and saw the co-worker trying to check on Hla Thein Aung.
The co-worker then called his supervisor to report that Hla Thein Aung had fallen and broken his head.
Police later found his helmet and gloves on the parapet on the fourth floor. They also discovered his shoes and safety line on the staircase landing on the first floor.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigation officer told the coroner’s court that Hla Thein Aung had probably removed his footwear to avoid leaving marks on the parapet walls.
A toxicology report later found that Hla Thein Aung’s blood and urine contained nitrazepam, a drug commonly used to treat insomnia and anxiety.
He had also been prescribed paracetamol six days before his death.
According to an investigation report, the combination of substances in his system could potentially affect one’s motor skills and balance. It could also have increased sedation effects.
Hla Thein Aung’s supervisor also told authorities that the worker often drank alcohol. However, he was never seen doing so at work.
The police do not suspect foul play.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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