Two companies fined for deaths of prime mover drivers

20 July 2017 Workplace safety and health

1. Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd and Woodlands Transport Service Pte Ltd were fined $80,000 and $130,000 respectively for failure to take adequate safety measures under the WSH Act that
led to the death of a prime mover driver in each company.
2. Cummins Asia Pacific Pte Ltd was charged under Section 11(b) for failure to ensure that the premise allows prime movers to manoeuvre safely and the proper implementation of a Workplace
Traffic Management Plan. Woodlands Transport Service Pte Ltd was charged under Section 12(1) for failure to take corrective actions in repairing a fault on the prime mover despite it being
raised by the deceased driver on numerous occasions and allowing the deceased to continue with deliveries on the vehicle. It was revealed that the company did not agree on the price of the
replacement parts and decided to source for the parts on their own. However, the company failed to follow up on the matter and the fault on the prime mover was not repaired.
3. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, MOM’s Director of Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, “These accidents could have been prevented if companies do not compromise the safety of their
workers. In one case, the company failed to rectify the ineffective handbrake of its prime mover despite numerous reportings by the driver, and put him at risk by permitting him to continue
driving it. The company has to take full responsibility for risks they put workers in when they knowingly disregard the need to maintain their vehicles in safe operating condition. There is no
business cost that can account for a life lost and MOM will make sure companies understand this fully.”

Case Summaries

Cummins Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

4. On 25 March 2015, Yu Hairui, (the Deceased) was driving his prime mover with a loaded 40ft container on its trailer, up the ramp between levels 4 and 5 of CWT Logistics Hub 3, 52
Tanjong Penjuru Road, Singapore 609034. Yu was manoeuvring a U-turn on the ramp when the 40ft container dislodged from the trailer and toppled onto the cabin of the prime mover. (Refer
to Annex A) Yu died from injuries sustained in the accident on the same day.
5. Investigations revealed that:
a. At the material period, the driveway at level 4 of the premises was congested and PM drivers faced difficulties manoeuvring their the prime movers and trailers; and,
b. At least one of the four twist locks fastening the container to the trailer on Yu’s prime mover was also not locked.

Woodlands Transport Service Pte Ltd

6. On 9 October 2015, Yeoh Lim Koon (the Deceased) parked his prime mover with a 24 ton trailer load, at the designated parking area at Telok Blangah St 31, Singapore. Yeoh dismounted
from his vehicle and was trying to disconnect the air hoses that were connected to the prime mover and its trailer, when the prime mover began to roll forward.
7. In his attempt to open the cabin door, Yeoh lost his grip and fell into a perimeter drain. The tail-end of the trailer caught Yeoh and dragged him out of the perimeter drain. The prime mover
halted after mounting the kerb of the public road outside the worksite. (Refer to Annex B). Yeoh was found underneath the rear of the trailer and died from his injuries on the same day.
8. Investigations revealed that:
a. The bracket used to stabilised the air tanks in the prime mover was loose, causing a cut in one of the air tank due to the air tank hitting a metal plate during bumpy rides;
b. The handbrake of the prime mover was not very effective, possibly due to compressed air leaking from the air tank, which Yeoh had raised on numerous occasions to Woodlands Transport
Service Pte Ltd; and,
c. The prime mover parked at a gradient and the trailer was holding a heavy load.

Company fined for serious accident involving reversing forklift

26 September 2017 Workplace safety and health

1. THT Logistics Pte Ltd was fined $80,000 yesterday for workplace safety and health breaches that led to a forklift accident within its premises, causing a worker to sustain serious leg injuries.

Case Summary
2. On 6 January 2015, Chua Kiang Lik, an employee of THT Logistics, was tasked to unload cargo from a container. During one of his breaks, as Chua was walking within the premises, a
forklift driver of the same company reversed his forklift into Chua and knocked him over. Chua’s legs were run over by the forklift’s left rear wheel. He was subsequently conveyed to
Alexandra Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a closed ankle fracture and underwent multiple procedures.
3. Investigations revealed that the forklift driver had checked the right and left sides of his forklift for persons nearby prior to reversing. However, as his view of the left side was obstructed by a
column, he was unable to see if there was anyone behind the column. As a result of his obscured view, the forklift driver reversed into Chua. Investigations also revealed that THT Logistics
had failed to perform adequate risk assessment, and develop and implement any Safe Work Procedures for forklift operators operating within its premises.
4. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, MOM’s Director of Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, said, “THT Logistics Pte Ltd, as employer, did not carry out proper risk assessment and failed to
implement adequate control measures for the safe operation of forklifts at its workplace. Clearly demarcated pathways for workers and designated routes for forklifts were not provided to
mitigate the risk of being hit by moving forklifts. As vehicular related accidents remain the top cause of fatalities this year, MOM will continue to inspect vehicular operations at workplaces.
At the same time, the WSH Council will step up outreach to the logistics and transport sector through the “Managing Onsite Vehicular Safety” (MOVeS) programme.”

MOM Takes Action Against 174 Companies for Workplace Safety Violations
6 August 2014 Workplace safety and health
06 August 2014

1. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has taken action against 174 companies for 353 workplace safety violations uncovered during a Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) enforcement
operation under the Programme-Based Engagement (ProBE1) Plus 2014 framework announced earlier this year.
2. During the month-long operation, MOM conducted surprise inspections at 250 worksites in high-risk sectors, including the construction and marine industries. Among these worksites, 60
were issued with fines ranging from $1,000 to $13,000 per inspection, leading to a total of 108 fines being meted out. The Ministry also issued Stop-Work Orders (SWOs) to the occupiers of
four worksites with severe WSH lapses.
3. The enforcement operation focused on compliance with the WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations, which require:

• Factories listed under the Schedule2 to implement Fall Prevention Plans (FPPs3), and

• Workplaces classified as factories4 to implement a Permit to Work System (PTW5).

WAH violations uncovered

4. The enforcement operation found that Work at Heights (WAH) lapses continued to be a concern (refer to Annex A for photographs of WAH violations). Some common WAH lapses included:

• Open sides and openings at work areas that were left unguarded;

• Failing to take reasonably practicable measures to prevent a person from falling during removal of barrier or guard rail; and
 • Lack of safe means of access to and from work areas.
5. MOM will require the occupiers of the four worksites issued with SWOs to fully rectify the unsafe conditions identified. In addition, where MOM assess that the lack of trained personnel is a
contributing factor leading to the SWO, MOM will require workers to undergo refresher training to improve their competency before the SWO can be lifted.

Industry’s progress in implementing FPP and PTW

6. The vast majority of the companies inspected were found to have complied with the requirement to implement the FPP and PTW. Findings showed that, among the worksites inspected:

• 84% have developed and implemented FPPs

• 77% have established PTW systems to manage their hazardous WAH activities
7. The implementation of FPPs and PTWs helps employers to identify the fall hazards at a worksite and the control measures necessary to mitigate them. However, companies must still ensure
that these and other necessary control measures are effectively implemented on the ground.

MOM calls on industries to eradicate WAH malpractice

8. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Director of MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, said, "Our inspections continue to uncover a range of Work At Heights lapses at worksites. In most
cases, contractors could have avoided those lapses by carrying out the FPP and PTW processes properly. We urge contractors to take these processes seriously, and also ensure that control
measures are implemented to mitigate WAH risks. Falls from heights are still the leading cause of workplace deaths, so this is an area we will continue to focus on. We will not hesitate to take
action against errant employers.
9. 9 MOM reminds companies that under the WSH Act, they may be fined up to $500,000 for the first offence for failing to ensure workplace safety and health. Individuals can also be fined up
to $200,000 and/or imprisoned up to 24 months for offences under the Act.

1 Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) Plus aims to raise standards in industries with poor Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) records by partnering them to raise WSH
competencies and stakeholder awareness. For more information about ProBE Plus, visit MOM website.
2 Refers to the Schedule of Workplaces Required to Have a Fall Prevention Plan under the WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations. This includes construction worksites,

shipyards, petrochemical plants and pharmaceutical plants.

3 The Fall Prevention Plan (FPP) is a documented site-specific plan prepared for the purpose of reducing or eliminating risk of falling.

4 Refers to the workplaces defined as factories under s5 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act. This includes construction worksites, shipyards, petrochemical plants and

pharmaceutical plants.
5 The Permit to Work (PTW) system is a formal documented process used to manage workplace hazards by ensuring all safety measures are in place before work is

permitted to commence.

Lowest workplace fatality rate since 2004

13 February 2018 Workplace safety and health

Attained WSH2018 Plan’s target of a workplace fatality rate of less than 1.8 by 2018
1. There were 42 workplace fatalities in 2017, down from 66 in 2016, resulting in a fatal injury rate of 1.2 per 100,000 employed persons. This was a significant
improvement after fatal injury rates stagnated at 1.9 per 100,000 employed persons in 2015 and 2016. It met the target set in 2008 under the WSH2018 Plan, to have a
workplace fatal injury rate of less than 1.8 per 100,000 employed persons by 2018 1. It was also the lowest fatal injury rate since 2004, the earliest year fatality rate data
is available on a comparable basis.

Overview of workplace injuries & occupational diseases

2. There were also fewer workplace injuries and dangerous occurrences in 2017 compared to 2016. However, the number of occupational diseases (ODs) increased from
732 cases in 2016 to 799 in 2017.

Table 1: Number of workplace incidents

2015 2016 2017
Overall Workplace Injuries 12,351 13,014 12,498
Fatal Injuries 66 66 42
Major Injuries 597 594 574
Minor Injuries 11,688 12,354 11,882
Dangerous Occurrences 46 45 35
Occupational Diseases (OD) 935 732 799
3. Fatal injuries declined across multiple sectors in 2017 compared to 2016, such as in the construction, transportation & storage, manufacturing, marine, and cleaning &
landscape maintenance sectors.

Table 2: Number of workplace fatal injuries by sector

2015 2016 2017
Construction 27 24 12
Transportation & Storage 15 11 7
Manufacturing 6 9 7
Wholesale & Retail 2 3 3
Marine 4 6 2
Cleaning & Landscape Maintenance 5 5 2
Others 7 8 9
4. Vehicular-related incidents2, falls and machinery-related incidents remained the top causes of fatal injuries in 2017, even though the number of these cases (29)
reduced significantly compared to 2016 (45). They were also key contributors to major injuries. MOM will continue to focus on the reduction of vehicular incidents, falls
and machinery incidents as priority areas in 2018.

Table 3: Leading causes of fatal injuries

2015 2016 2017
Vehicular-related Incidents 21 22 14
Falls – Falls from Heights 14 13 8
Falls – Slips, Trips & Falls 9 6 4
Machinery-related Incidents3 3 4 3
Collapse of Formwork/Failure of its Supports 1 2 3
5.

Table 4: Leading causes of major injuries in 2017

2015 2016 2017
Falls – Slips, Trips & Falls 153 173 177
Falls – Falls from Heights 102 73 63
Machinery-related Incidents 58 50 45
Struck by Falling Objects 63 33 44
Vehicular-related Incidents 51 50 41
Exposure To/Contact with Extreme Temperatures 45 30 41
6. The increase in occupational diseases in 2017 was driven by the higher number of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD), Noise Induced Deafness (NID)
and Occupational Skin Diseases incidences. The number of WRMSD and NID cases accounted for 83% of all Occupational Diseases this year. The number of
Occupational Skin Disease rose by 66% to 78 cases from the 47 cases in 2016. MOM will be enhancing its targeted programmes to prevent the occurrences of these
Occupational Diseases. This include efforts on reducing excessive noise at source, improving ergonomics and strengthening the management of hazardous chemicals
at workplaces.
 Table 5: Top Three Occupational Diseases
2015 2016 2017
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders 304 316 337
Noise Induced Deafness 498 322 329
Occupational Skin Disease 89 47 78
7. Commenting on the higher number of ODs, Executive Director of the Workplace Safety & Health Institute, Dr Gan Siok Lin said, “There is a need to manage workplace
health the same way we manage workplace safety. Health affects safety and vice versa, so companies should take an integrated approach to enhance both their safety
and health management capabilities. We can address workplace injuries and occupational diseases more robustly when there is greater WSH ownership among all
stakeholders - employers, employees and industry. A safe and healthy workplace is everyone’s responsibility.”

Enforcement Operations & Engagement Efforts

8. In 2017, the Workplace Safety and Health Council ramped up outreach and engagement efforts, especially in sectors that saw more fatal injuries, like construction and
transportation & storage. This was complemented by targeted enforcement operations by MOM’s WSH inspectors, especially in workplaces with high probabilities of
vehicular incidents, falls, and machinery incidents. About 16,000 inspections were conducted in 2017. A total of 71 stop-work orders, more than 1,200 fines and over
9,000 notices of non-compliance were issued. We will sustain the pace of enforcement operations and engagement in 2018.
9. Workplace Safety and Health Council’s General Manager, Mr Patrick Han said, “While the outcome is encouraging, we must not be complacent. The WSH Council will
continue stepping up its effort to promote the culture of care through Total WSH, instilling the mind-set of prevention through Vision Zero that all ill health and accidents
are preventable and strengthening the trust between workers, employers and the Government through tripartism.”
FOOTNOTE

1. Please refer to ANNEX for time series data on fatality rates and timeline of WSH enhancements since 2004.
2. Vehicle-related incidents consist of being struck by moving vehicles in workplaces, work-related traffic incidents on public roads, and being caught in between vehicles.
3. Machinery-related incidents consist of being caught in/between industrial machines or lifting equipment, and being struck by moving equipment or industrial tools.
 MOM Takes Action Against 174 Companies for Workplace Safety Violations
6 August 2014 Workplace safety and health
06 August 2014

10. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has taken action against 174 companies for 353 workplace safety violations uncovered during a Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) enforcement
operation under the Programme-Based Engagement (ProBE1) Plus 2014 framework announced earlier this year.
11. During the month-long operation, MOM conducted surprise inspections at 250 worksites in high-risk sectors, including the construction and marine industries. Among these worksites, 60
were issued with fines ranging from $1,000 to $13,000 per inspection, leading to a total of 108 fines being meted out. The Ministry also issued Stop-Work Orders (SWOs) to the occupiers of
four worksites with severe WSH lapses.
12. The enforcement operation focused on compliance with the WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations, which require:

• Factories listed under the Schedule2 to implement Fall Prevention Plans (FPPs3), and

• Workplaces classified as factories4 to implement a Permit to Work System (PTW5).

WAH violations uncovered

13. The enforcement operation found that Work at Heights (WAH) lapses continued to be a concern (refer to Annex A for photographs of WAH violations). Some common WAH lapses included:

• Open sides and openings at work areas that were left unguarded;

• Failing to take reasonably practicable measures to prevent a person from falling during removal of barrier or guard rail; and

• Lack of safe means of access to and from work areas.

14. MOM will require the occupiers of the four worksites issued with SWOs to fully rectify the unsafe conditions identified. In addition, where MOM assess that the lack of trained personnel is a
contributing factor leading to the SWO, MOM will require workers to undergo refresher training to improve their competency before the SWO can be lifted.

Industry’s progress in implementing FPP and PTW

15. The vast majority of the companies inspected were found to have complied with the requirement to implement the FPP and PTW. Findings showed that, among the worksites inspected:

• 84% have developed and implemented FPPs

• 77% have established PTW systems to manage their hazardous WAH activities
16. The implementation of FPPs and PTWs helps employers to identify the fall hazards at a worksite and the control measures necessary to mitigate them. However, companies must still ensure
that these and other necessary control measures are effectively implemented on the ground.

MOM calls on industries to eradicate WAH malpractice

17. Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Director of MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, said, "Our inspections continue to uncover a range of Work At Heights lapses at worksites. In most
cases, contractors could have avoided those lapses by carrying out the FPP and PTW processes properly. We urge contractors to take these processes seriously, and also ensure that control
measures are implemented to mitigate WAH risks. Falls from heights are still the leading cause of workplace deaths, so this is an area we will continue to focus on. We will not hesitate to take
action against errant employers.
18. 9 MOM reminds companies that under the WSH Act, they may be fined up to $500,000 for the first offence for failing to ensure workplace safety and health. Individuals can also be fined up
to $200,000 and/or imprisoned up to 24 months for offences under the Act.

1 Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) Plus aims to raise standards in industries with poor Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) records by partnering them to raise WSH
competencies and stakeholder awareness. For more information about ProBE Plus, visit MOM website.
2 Refers to the Schedule of Workplaces Required to Have a Fall Prevention Plan under the WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations. This includes construction worksites,

shipyards, petrochemical plants and pharmaceutical plants.

3 The Fall Prevention Plan (FPP) is a documented site-specific plan prepared for the purpose of reducing or eliminating risk of falling.

4 Refers to the workplaces defined as factories under s5 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act. This includes construction worksites, shipyards, petrochemical plants and

pharmaceutical plants.
5 The Permit to Work (PTW) system is a formal documented process used to manage workplace hazards by ensuring all safety measures are in place before work is

permitted to commence.