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SINGAPORE: On Friday (December 4) the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) reported two more workplace deaths, bringing the death toll to five in the past two weeks.
In the first incident on Tuesday, two workers were packing goods in a warehouse when one worker heard a thud and found the other lying face-up on the ground after falling from a height, the WSHC said.
The injured worker was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
On Wednesday, two workers were repairing a machine when its platen suddenly lowered onto one of the men. He was pronounced dead at the scene by attending paramedics, WSHC said.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating both incidents.
READ: Construction companies urged to review safety protocols after 3 workplace fatalities in 2 days
THREE DEATHS IN THE WORKPLACE IN THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 23
The two deaths this week come after three workers were killed in workplace incidents over a two-day period last week.
The first of the three incidents occurred on November 23.
A worker was raising the work platform of a boom lift when he became trapped between the boom lift railing and a structural member of the roof, according to a bulletin on the WSHC website.
The worker was rescued and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The next day, a worker was checking formwork panels at a construction site when he lost his balance and fell about 0.8 m to the ground. The worker was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the next day.
The third incident also occurred on November 24 and involved a worker who was tasked with performing an arc welding on a pipe.
To facilitate welding work, an inert gas was previously introduced into the pipe. “The worker was later found unconscious with his upper body inside the opening of an adjoining pipe,” the WSH accident notice said.
He was declared dead at the hospital.
MOM is also investigating these incidents.
Last week’s deaths led to calls from the WSH Council and the Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) urging construction companies to conduct a “full” safety exercise at their workplaces.
LEE: Foreign worker fell 4.7 million through the table until his death, MOM is considering an action: forensic
On Thursday, a forensic report on a fatal incident in 2019 noted that MOM was considering taking action against a worker’s employer after he fell and died from a height of 4.7m while performing work at Shaw Plaza. Actions against the building’s occupant are also being considered.
MELVIN YONG FROM NTUC ASKS THE FATALITIES
In a Facebook post on Friday, NTUC Deputy Secretary General Melvin Yong said he was “very concerned and alarmed” by the sharp increase in workplace deaths.
To date, the total number of workplace deaths is more than two-thirds of the total number of workplace deaths in 2019, Yong said, adding that this was “in the context of the COVID- restrictions. 19, where there was a drastic drop in the level of commercial activities. “
READ: More Fatal Work-Related Accidents Despite Decline in Work Activities Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Referencing these incidents, Yong said they serve as a “grim and critical reminder of the need to guard against fatigue or even complacency” as companies resume operations and Singapore continues to move towards Phase 3.
“I urge companies to continue to prioritize and safeguard the safety of our workers, and not to lay down the lives of our workers by rushing to catch up on work,” Yong said.
“Instead, companies would do well to hit the pause button and review security measures and protocol when necessary.”
He also raised the idea of having a trained WSH representative in each organization, which could ensure the implementation of safe management measures in the workplace to address the risk that COVID-19 infection does not compromise safety at the workplace. job.
“There is new momentum for us to look for ways to make it easier for workers to gradually return to their jobs as many have not returned to their workplaces for months,” Yong said.
He called on companies to consider implementing a structured reorientation program for workers returning to the workplace after an extended period, especially in “high-risk areas such as manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing.”
