Worker Falls to Death From Ladder While Moving Items at Residential Unit; Fell 7 Stories

On 5 April, a worker fell to death while moving items from a residential unit.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has confirmed the incident and the Workplace Health and Safety (WSH) Council reported on the incident on their WHS Bulletin.

According to TODAYonline, the man was a part of a group of workers tasked with disposing of electrical appliances and furniture from a residential unit on the 10th floor.

The location was not stated in the bulletin.

The worker was standing on a ladder when he, along with the ladder, fell backwards over a parapet wall at the service yard area. He had landed on the third floor.

When the paramedics arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The WHS council urged all employers who were involved in this area of work to implement suitable risk control measures. They should brief workers on any hazards, provide the necessary tools and equipment among other appropriate measures.

Council Calls For Safety Time Out; Workplace Fatalities Trend Is “Alarming”

You might’ve read our article about workplace fatalities, with seven occurring in February alone at the time of writing.

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad had noted in a Facebook post on 22 February that there have been seven fatal workplace incidents since the start of February, as compared to 30 fatalities for the whole of last year.

“This is extremely alarming, setting a worrying trend for the year ahead,” he added.

One worker was involved in a traffic-related accident while the other six had either fallen from heights or were caught between objects.

Mr Zaqy also expressed that such incidents could have been prevented if adequate risk assessment and appropriate safety procedures had been carried out at the site.

Particularly citing an incident where two deceased workers had operated machinery that they were “untrained and authorised”, he cautioned that “contractors… must ensure that only trained and authorised personnel are allowed to operate them.”

The Singapore Contractors Association Ltd and WSH Council have issued a call for a safety time-out (STO) on the use of machinery.

An STO is when an industry reviews the existing safety provisions and implements necessary measures to keep safety practices in check, according to MOM’s official document.

On-site engagement with site personnel and site-specific workshops on recapping basic workplace safety will also be carried out.

However, if you look at WSH’s website, the number has since jumped to 11 at the time of writing, and the council has once again called for an STO in March.

Another worker had been caught between objects and three had sustained excessive burn injuries in the horrific Tuas fire.

According to WSH’s announcement, investigations into these 11 incidents revealed that for the majority of cases, safety and health hazards were not identified as the risk assessments conducted at the workplaces were inadequate, and proper work methods were also not established before work commencement.

Workers in these accidents were also found to be either inadequately trained or unauthorised in the use of machinery.

Chairman of the WSH Council, Mr John Ng, emphasised that “WSH ownership must be ingrained at every level from management to worker so that a culture of safe work practices can be inculcated at the workplace.”

Mr Zaqy had previously warned that MOM would not hesitate to take strict enforcement actions against companies who do not have the proper measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of their employees.

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