SINGAPORE — A 31-year-old Singaporean worker died on Tuesday (27 Dec) morning after he was struck and pinned down by a machine that toppled on him.
A 62-year-old forklift operator, suspected of causing death by a negligent act, has been arrested by the police. Police investigations are ongoing.
The fatal accident occurred at about 7.50 am at 601 Rifle Range Road, a site near Upper Peirce Reservoir which is occupied by ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering.
Local media Lianhe Zaobao reported that the accident happened when the forklift was moving a piece of machinery which later toppled and hit the victim.
The victim was unable to escape and was pinned down by the machine.
Upon receiving an emergency call at 8.05 am that morning, The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rushed to the scene and took the unconscious man to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
The Singaporean was employed by RCM Resources, a labour supply firm, and was later pronounced dead.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has instructed the occupier, ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering, to stop all lifting operations.
ST Engineering said that the worker was a general worker at the Advanced Material Engineering plant at Rifle Range Road.
“As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further details or comment further,” said a company spokesperson.
“The company’s immediate priority is to provide assistance to the victim’s family, and has assigned carers and offered professional counsellors to support them during this difficult time.”
This is also the 45th workplace fatal incident in 2022, exceeding the 37 deaths in the whole of 2021.
It is also the highest number since 2016, which recorded 66 workplace fatalities. There were 30 workplace deaths in 2020 and 39 in 2019.
Three fatal workplace incidents were recorded within this month, including a Bangladeshi worker who died while hoisting a tree trunk earlier this month, and a 32-year-old Indian national who died after being crushed by a crane at a construction site at Tengah.
