WSH Council chairman: They did not make it home
So far this year, 22 workers have been killed in workplace accidents, compared to 18 in the same period last year.
Of those deaths, 10 occurred in the construction industry.
The most recent accident happened at a construction site on Saturday, when a worker fell four storeys to his death. (See report.)
West Coast GRC MP Patrick Tay, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, thinks the statistics show a worrying trend.
He said: "Unlike previous years, the type and nature of accidents causing deaths are varied these first three months. There are a variety of reasons (for the deaths) but human error is one main cause. It could be due to complacency, carelessness and rushing to do things and complete work."
REVIEW
In light of the spate of deaths, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council yesterday urged the industries to review safety procedures at work immediately.
It will work with the Singapore Contractors Association and Association of Singapore Marine Industries to conduct a Safety Time Out this month on all construction and marine work activities.
WSH Council chairman Heng Chiang Gnee said: "We are saddened by the loss of 22 lives. These workers did not make it home.
"These accidents could have been prevented if risk assessments were conducted effectively and necessary measures to eliminate or mitigate risks were implemented."
It could be due to complacency, carelessness and rushing to do things and complete work.
- West Coast GRC MP Patrick Tay on how human error is the main cause of the deaths
List of deaths
JAN 14
(Above) A cleaner was clearing dry leaves on a slope behind a planter wall in the afternoon when he lost his balance.
He stumbled backwards and fell off the planter wall that was 1m-high.
His head struck the concrete floor and he died in hospital two days later.
JAN 22
A worker, who was installing roofing sheets, was killed when he fell through a gap in the roof and landed on the concrete floor below.
JAN 26
A worker, who was on a marine vessel, was found lying at the bottom of a cargo tank. He died from his injuries in hospital.
JAN 28
A worker fell over the edge of the upper deck of a marine vessel while retrieving some lashing belts near the edge. He landed on the lower deck and died in hospital.
FEB 17
A crane operator was killed when he fell about 11 storeys. The accident occurred when he was near a crane that dropped off the edge of the building.
FEB 27
A worker was descending by rope into a storage tank of a marine vessel when he called for help. He was rescued by his co-workers but died in hospital.
MARCH 3
A worker was installing new roofing sheets when he fell and died.
MARCH 4
A worker, preparing to erect a scaffold within a ballast tank of a marine vessel, was covering lightening holes when he fell through one of them to the bottom of the tank. He died in hospital.
MARCH 11
A worker who was positioned above a false ceiling to lay cable trunking fell through a panel and died.
MARCH 31
A worker went to the roof to check some piping work he had done the previous day. He was subsequently found at the foot of the building. He died in hospital.
APRIL 1
A worker, who was part of a team installing PVC pipes on a roof, was found dead at the bottom of an air well that runs from the roof to the bottom of the building.
APRIL 2
A worker was replacing the battery of a forklift on the fourth storey of a building under construction when the forklift suddenly surged backwards and fell through a floor opening. He fell with it and landed on the floor below. He died in hospital.
OTHERS
FEB 7
A cleaner at work slipped while walking on an unsheltered ramp when it was raining. He died in hospital.
MARCH 22
Two SMRT trainees, Mr Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Mr Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were killed on the spot when they were hit by a train travelling at 60kmh at Pasir Ris MRT station.
They were part of a team of 15 men who were on the track to investigate a signalling fault.
Preliminary investigations by SMRT revealed the team had failed to notify a station signal unit they were stepping back onto the track.
MARCH 25
A worker was found unconscious near two trailers at his workplace. He died in hospital.
HIT BY OBJECTS
JAN 1
A worker who was tasked to rectify leaks in pipelines was struck by a pipe connector that burst open as he was dismantling it. He died in hospital.
JAN 29
(Above) Mr Hasan Kazi was doing concreting work in a pit when the excavator tilted and the bucket it was lifting hit him. He died in hospital.
The accident occurred when the 26-year-old was guiding an excavator on the site of Great World MRT station, part of the Thomson-East Coast Line.
MARCH 9
A worker was struck by a piece of plywood while dismantling formwork at a construction site. He died in hospital
WORKING WITH MACHINERY
JAN 8
A driver was killed on the spot when his parked truck rolled forward and pinned him between the side of the truck and a wall.
JAN 11
(Above) A Bangladeshi cleaner was crushed by a waste compactor in a waste collection centre at Block 620, Bedok Reservoir.
The 37-year-old, who was identified only as Ali, was found unconscious at the edge of the waste compactor. He died in hospital.
JAN 29
A worker died after he was pinned by a reversing concrete truck between the truck and a heavy machine.
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