SMRT Trains was fined $240,000 on May 5, 2023, after being convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health Act following a tragic accident at Bishan Depot that resulted in the death of a technical officer in March 2020.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE:
- SMRT Trains was fined $240,000 for workplace safety violations after a fatal accident at Bishan Depot in March 2020.
- The incident resulted in the death of technical officer Mr. Muhammad Afiq Senawi due to a flying spacer rod from a hydraulic press machine.
- The investigation revealed the company failed to install a pressure gauge and did not limit the pressure settings on the hydraulic press.
- SMRT Trains’ failure to secure the spacer rod and inadequate maintenance contributed to the accident.
- The company was convicted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for neglecting reasonable safety measures.
WHAT HHAPPENED
The incident occurred on March 23, 2020, when Mr Muhammad Afiq Senawi, 30, and a colleague were performing maintenance work using a hydraulic press machine (HPM) to replace train components.
During the operation, Mr Afiq mistakenly left an older, similar component inside the machine. This oversight led to a pressure build-up, causing a spacer rod weighing nearly 3kg to dislodge forcefully.
The rod shattered through fencing near the machine and struck Mr Afiq’s face, leading to severe face and chest injuries. He was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital but succumbed to his injuries at 10:15am that day.
According to the ST report, the coroner, Christopher Goh, later classified his death as an unfortunate misadventure.
An investigation revealed critical safety lapses by SMRT Trains. Notably, the company had failed to reinstall a pressure gauge on the HPM after dismantling it for repairs. The gauge, which is a vital safety measure under the operation manual, was damaged as early as June 11, 2018, according to work records.
Despite being sent for calibration in December 2018 and the most recent maintenance on January 2, 2020, the gauge remained absent.
Prosecutor Kimberly Boo from the Ministry of Manpower highlighted that the absence of the pressure gauge meant operators lacked a key indicator of the machine’s pressure levels.
She explained, “(SMRT Trains) had failed to ensure that a pressure gauge, which was a safety measure identified in the HPM operation manual, was installed for the HPM. Once the activating lever was pulled by the operator, the piston would continually move downwards to generate a downward push motion. Even though HPM operators were not required to monitor the exact pressure involved in the operation, the presence of a pressure gauge would provide an indication to operators on whether the force applied in any installation or removal had increased disproportionately.”
Further compounding the safety lapse, SMRT Trains also failed to limit the pressure setting of the HPM, which could have prevented operators from exposing themselves to excessive force.
This oversight increased the risk of accidents during maintenance work.Court documents revealed that the engineering maintenance manager responsible for the HPM instructed the dismantling of the pressure gauge after it was damaged, but overlooked its reinstallation, leaving the machine without a vital safety feature.
In her closing remarks, Ms Boo emphasized the company’s failure to uphold workplace safety standards, leading to the preventable death of Mr Afiq.
SMRT Trains was charged in court in 2023 and subsequently fined $240,000 for its lapses.The case underscores the importance of rigorous safety protocols and proper maintenance procedures in ensuring the safety of workers in high-risk environments.
Image via Google
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