Man dies after being hit by flying wood fragment; 30 workplace deaths so far this year
A man died in hospital on Wednesday (July 13) after being struck by a piece of wood, taking this year's workplace fatality count to 30.
The man, a 51-year-old Singaporean, was hit by a piece of plywood that was being used in a pile load test at about 10am on July 6, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement on Thursday (July 14).
The accident happened in Pasir Ris Drive 1, MOM added. The man was taken to Changi General Hospital, where he died from his injuries on Wednesday.
MOM is investigating the incident, and has instructed the contractor BBR Piling to stop all piling activities.
Piling is a construction process which involves drilling foundations in the ground to give more structural strength to weak soil in order to support heavy loads.
The developer of the plot is United Microelectronics Corporation, a Taiwanese semiconductor company, said MOM.
The occupier of the worksite is Takenaka Corporation, a Japanese architectural, construction and engineering company.
MOM said: "As a general safety measure for activities where flying fragments are common, steps should be taken to prevent these fragments from hitting persons or causing property damage."
Singapore is experiencing a spate of workplace deaths. In May, companies were urged to impose a two-week safety time-out after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the growing number of workplace deaths was not acceptable, and that safety at the workplace needs to be taken more seriously.
Last month, MOM doubled the composition fines that firms are liable for should offences be observed during safety inspections to a maximum of $5,000.
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