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SINGAPORE: An SMRT technical officer in a fatal work accident at Bishan Depot last year was struck by a rod that shot out of a machine it was operating, a forensic court heard on Friday (February 26).
Muhammad Afiq Senawi, 30, was operating a hydraulic pressing machine in the rolling stock workshop, where trains and their components are being serviced, when the incident occurred, the court heard on the first day of an investigation into his death.
The investigating officer in charge of the case testified that Afiq had left for work normally on March 23, 2020 and was assigned to a particular work station with a friend.
At least two people were assigned to each station, which required the use of a hydraulic press machine to remove components from the guide bar arms, due to the weight of the guide bar arm.
READ: SMRT Worker Dies From Injuries After Workplace Accident At Bishan Depot
Mr. Afiq went to the work station first after the safety briefing ended that morning, but his friend, who was assigned to that station with him for the first time, left for a work-related discussion.
When the friend arrived at the work station, he did not check with Mr. Afiq if he had carried out the security checks, as he assumed that Mr. Afiq had completed them.
They were tasked with removing and installing components on a pallet containing eight to 10 pieces of rod arms.
They agreed to take turns, with one person operating the machine while the other acted as an assistant to guide or help set up the equipment.
Afiq’s friend went first, and the pair went through two guide rod arms with no problem. When Mr. Afiq started operating the machine on the third arm, his friend said he wanted to help as he normally would, but Mr. Afiq “insisted that he wanted to do it himself.”
His friend stepped aside to look, but noticed that a pad was not aligned properly and asked Mr. Afiq to remove the newly installed component as it was damaged.
The friend turned to check how many arms were left on the pallet and turned to see Mr. Afiq placing components on the work station. He was not sure what Mr. Afiq was doing, but did not give it much thought, as he thought that Mr. Afiq, who was his eldest, would know what he was doing.
When Afiq pressed the piston of the machine, his friend asked him to stop when he noticed that the piston was moving very slowly and he thought something was stuck or something had gone wrong.
Afiq nodded and slowly raised the piston. At this point the friend said he looked at the pallet again to see how many bar arms were left.
BUDDY HEARD A BIG BANG
He heard the piston running, followed by a loud “thump.” He jumped back in shock and saw Mr. Afiq fall backwards. He also saw several pieces of equipment scattered around the machine and a hole in the door of a hydraulic press fence that was intended to prevent people from reaching the machine.
Afiq was lying on his back in front of the hydraulic press machine, gasping for air. Colleagues immediately rushed to help him, while the friend was in shock and could not answer questions.
According to the investigating officer, a spacer rod that was initially inside the hydraulic press machine is believed to have tripped, penetrated the fence around the machine and struck Mr. Afiq.
Afiq was seen lying down with his eyes open and his mouth closed. A colleague saw bloodstains around his chin and opened his mouth with a gloved hand to check if he was choking, as Mr Afiq did not respond to his name.
Blood began to flow from his mouth, the investigating officer said, and the colleague stuck his tongue out at Mr. Afiq to prevent him from choking and put him in a recovery position.
Paramedics quickly arrived and took him to the hospital, where doctors observed that he had been working when an object weighing 5 kg flew towards his face.
He died later that day, with an autopsy report identifying injuries to his face and chest as the cause of his death. No foul deed was found, the investigating officer said.
The investigation was attended by Mr. Afiq’s loved ones, including his sister and fiancée.
The coroner told the family that he will postpone the hearing to a later date so that an official from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) can answer some questions he had about the ministry’s report on the incident.
His questions to MOM included whether there was a safety checklist, whether there was a set of standard operating procedures for the machine, and whether it was followed.
