Worker killed in fall from roof of West Coast condo

SINGAPORE - A Bangladeshi worker fell to his death while performing waterproofing work on the roof of a condominium at 16 West Coast Crescent on May 24.

The man, 37, who fell about 20m to the ground, was rushed to National University Hospital, where he died from his injuries, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in response to The Straits Times' queries on Monday (May 30).

MOM said the worker's employer, RJ Contract, is also the occupier of the unit, where the incident happened at 10.45am.

It is investigating the accident and has instructed the waterproofing firm to stop all work activities that require employees to be elevated.

"As a general safety measure, every means by which a worker may fall from height should be identified and guarded or covered. In addition, workers should be equipped with safety equipment to prevent falls," the ministry added in its statement to ST.

There were 20 workplace fatalities between Jan 1 and May 6, with 10 in April alone.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on May 9 in a Facebook post that the recent spate of workplace fatalities is unacceptable.

"We have been working hard for years to prevent workplace accidents, especially deaths," he wrote.

"We have made good progress. But with our economy reopening and activities ramping up, safety standards and practices seem to have slipped. Accident rates have gone up, and we have lost ground. We must put this right."

MOM, Workplace Safety and Health Council, National Trades Union Congress and industry partners urged companies to impose a two-week safety timeout to review risk assessments and familiarise workers with safety procedures.

More than 12,000 companies had called a timeout by mid-May.

Singapore has a long-term goal of reducing workplace fatalities to a rate below one per 100,000 workers by 2028.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.