SINGAPORE - Piling and construction company ZAP Piling has been fined $290,000 for a fatal incident in 2016 that resulted in the death of a worker, Mr Arumugam Elango.

On June 7, 2016, the company's director instructed site supervisor Tay Tong Chuan to perform a functional test of a bore piling machine at a machinery storage yard at 6 Kranji Link for the first time.

Mr Tay did not receive any particular instructions on safety matters, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement on Friday (May 4).

On June 9, 2016, the functional test was conducted for a third time and involved Mr Arumugam and other workers.

Mr Tay instructed crawler crane operator Cai Guanglin to shift a boring bucket that was in front of the bore piling machine to another location, which was next to a stack of bore pile casings.

After rigging the bucket with the crane's chain slings, Mr Arumugam moved to a tight space between the bore piling machine and the stack of casings, which were about 1.4m apart.

As the crane, operated by Mr Cai, was shifting the bucket to place it next to the stacked casings, the bucket knocked against the casings, causing some of them to topple.

Mr Arumugam was pinned against the track of the bore piling machine.

Each of the fallen casings weighed about 1.76 tonnes.

Mr Arumugam was pronounced dead at the scene due to multiple injuries.

In its investigations, MOM found that the company had failed to perform several tasks.

It had failed to conduct an adequate risk assessment before testing the bore pile machine at the premises. It also did not establish an appropriate safe work procedure in relation to the functional test of the bore pile machine, nor did it brief all employees on the risks involved or the necessary safety measures before they took on respective roles.

The company did not apply for a permit-to-work as required for lifting operations in accordance to the code of practice on Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces, which would have ensured that the appropriate safety measures were in place before work commenced.

The company failed to establish and implement a lifting plan. This would have required the firm to mark the zone of operation for the lift, to consider the physical factors such as obstructions existing at the time of the lift, and to establish an effective means of communication amongst the various workers involved.

Finally, the company failed to ensure proper housekeeping arrangements at the premises, such as putting in place effective supporting structures to ensure the casings are stabilised to prevent their collapse.

The risk of a load coming into contact with the casings in the tight and congested premises was high and it was foreseeable that there could be accidental dislodgement, MOM said.

MOM's director of occupational safety and health inspectorate Sebastian Tan said "the congested and disorganised premises were... hazardous to the workers".

"The company's numerous and glaring oversights in ensuring their workers' safety resulted in a loss of life," said Mr Tan. "A heavy fine was sought to remind employers not to blatantly disregard the safety of their workers."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards

MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.