31-year-old Singaporean man dies after being hit by a machine, 45th workplace fatality this year
A 31-year-old Singaporean died after he was struck and pinned down by a machine on Tuesday morning. He is the 45th workplace fatality so far this year.
The man, who is employed by RCM Resources, a wholesale firm, was unconscious when he was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
The accident occurred at 601 Rifle Range Road, a site near Upper Peirce Reservoir that is occupied by ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering.
The worker was subsequently pronounced dead, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a statement on Tuesday.
The machine that struck the worker was being moved by a forklift when it toppled and hit him, said MOM.
The ministry said that when using forklifts it is crucial that forks be inserted underneath a load, and that the load is stable before being raised for transfer.
“This is to prevent any accidental toppling of the load,” it said.
The 45 workplace deaths so far in 2022 exceeds the 37 recorded in the entirety of 2021, and is the highest number since 2016, when there were 66 such deaths. There were 30 workplace deaths in 2020 and 39 in 2019.
After a spate of work-related deaths and injuries earlier in the year, MOM imposed a six-month heightened safety period from Sept 1, with companies possibly being barred from hiring foreign workers if serious safety lapses are found following an accident.
The Straits Times has contacted RCM Resources and ST Engineering for comment.
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