SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A 62-year-old man has been arrested after the death of a worker who was hit by a machine that fell off a forklift on Tuesday (Dec 28).
The man was suspected of causing death by a negligent act.
The accident occurred at about 7.50am at 601 Rifle Range Road, a site near Upper Peirce Reservoir that is occupied by ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday.
A team was using the forklift to move the machine when it toppled and hit the victim, a 31-year-old general worker employed by labour supply company RCM Resources.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at 8.05am, and took the unconscious man to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A police spokesman told The Straits Times that a 62-year-old man was subsequently arrested.
It is not clear what his role was in the accident; police investigations are ongoing.
This is the 45th workplace death so far in 2022, the highest number recorded since 2016, when there were 66 workplace deaths.
In 2021, there were 37 such deaths, coming after 30 in 2020 and 39 in 2019.
To curb the spate of workplace deaths, MOM has imposed a six-month heightened safety period from Sept 1, 2022, to Feb 28, 2023.
Its implementation saw a dip in the average number of workplace deaths from about 4.5 deaths a month to two deaths a month.
If severe lapses are found following a serious or fatal workplace accident, companies will be barred from hiring new foreign workers for up to three months.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
