Fatal construction accident at Jurong Island power station
A construction worker died on Dec 5 after being hit by parts of a toppling concrete structure at a work site at Pulau Seraya Power Station on Jurong Island.
The incident happened at about 5pm at 3 Seraya Avenue, when the 58-year-old Thai national was using a drill excavator to demolish the structure, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said in a joint response to queries.
Pieces from the structure fell and hit the excavator with a drill head mounted on its arm and struck the worker, according to the statement.
The worker was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which was alerted at about 5.40pm. The worker was employed by Aik Sun Demolition and Engineering, which is also the occupier of the work site.
Both MOM and BCA are investigating for possible offences under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and the Building Control Act, respectively.
The ministry has also issued a stop-work order for the site, while BCA has revoked the permit issued to the builder, and mandated the submission of a detailed investigation report of the incident.
“As a general safety measure, the demolition of structures must be properly planned and done systematically,” the joint statement said.
“This includes establishing a plan with a detailed sequence and demolishing from top down to eliminate any premature and unintended collapse of structures.”
A total of 15 workers in the construction sector died between January and October, with 10 deaths between July and October.
From early 2024, several measures have been rolled out by the authorities to improve workplace safety in the construction industry. These included a greater emphasis by government agencies on safety in evaluating construction tenders from April.
The Straits Times has contacted the police for more information.
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