Crane operator killed in site accident

A lorry-crane operator was crushed to death yesterday morning, after the metal load he was lifting with the crane fell and pinned him to his seat.

The incident occurred at about 11.40am at the construction site of Pasir Ris One, a public housing development near Pasir Ris MRT station.

When The Straits Times arrived at the scene, about 10 people, believed to be the 60-year-old victim's family members, had to wait for an hour outside the site before being allowed in at about 3.30pm.

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers received a call about the accident at 11.45am. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. His body was removed by repositioning the crane boom and removing the materials, SCDF said.

Mr Tng Bi Da, a director of Kay Lim Construction and Trading, listed as the builder for the construction project, said the lorry crane involved had been supplied by a subcontractor.

The Manpower Ministry said it has instructed Kay Lim to stop all work there. Police are also investigating.

In the first half of this year, there were 17 fatalities in the construction sector, a spike of more than 50 per cent over the same period last year. Workplace injuries also climbed to 6,284 in the first half, a 14 per cent jump from the same period last year.

In a recent crackdown on unsafe crane operations over July and August, the ministry fined or warned 79 companies after inspecting 80 work sites.

goyshiyi@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Nov 13, 2014.
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