Man falls through rubbish chute in Bukit Merah

Miss Anna was on the way back from the supermarket around 10am yesterday (Oct 8) when she noticed a large crowd gathering at the void deck.

The 37-year-old domestic worker, who declined to give her full name, later watched the drama from her window on the third storey of Block 8, Jalan Rumah Tinggi.

"I saw a man being wheeled out on a stretcher from the rubbish chute under my unit. He was shaking and there was so much blood," Miss Anna told The New Paper on Sunday.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a case of fall from height at about 10.10am.

When the rescuers arrived, they found an injured man in a one-man cage inside a rubbish chute on the ground floor.

TNP ​PHOTO: CHOO CHWEE HUA

TNPS understands that the injured man is Mr Balarugan, a construction worker from Chennai, India. He works for Scaf-Link Engineering.

SCDF officers spent 15 minutes using a hydraulic cutter to get Mr Balarugan out.

He was then taken to the National University Hospital, which had been alerted to be on standby to receive him.

It is believed that Mr Balarugan sustained serious injuries from the fall, including fractures on his ankles, shins and thighs and abdominal swelling, as well as spinal injuries.

TNP PHOTO: CHOO CHWEE HUA

Miss Anna said the victim appeared to be in shock as SCDF officers tended to him.

With tears in her eyes, she said: "It looked like he was in so much pain, I couldn't bear watching it."

Mr Balarugan was part of a team subcontracted by ATC Painting and Trading,which was carrying out repairs and redecoration works at the block.

SAFETY PROCEDURES

A contractor from ATC told TNPS that Mr Balarugan was lining the inner walls of the rubbish chute when the accident happened. It is not known how high up he was before the fall.

"We always make sure the proper safety procedures are in place. In this case, maybe the single man cradle slipped and he fell, but we are still investigating the cause," said the ATC contractor, who declined to be named.

A total of 54 workers have died on the job this year, with falls being the most common cause, according to a report on workplace safety released by the Ministry of Manpower on Sept 26.