Migrant worker dies from injuries after getting electrocuted at workplace

Singapore—A workplace accident resulted in the death of a foreign worker last Thursday (Oct 15). The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday (Oct 19) that he was electrocuted while he was dismantling an electrical distribution board.

The worker was a 27-year-old Indian national.

In response to questions from Channel NewsAsia (CNA), MOM said that the incident occurred at 170 Still Road. This is the address of the Police National Service Department. The worker was employed by STIE, an engineering and IT solutions provider.

The Ministry has said that the incident is now under investigation.

MOM told CNA, “A 27-year-old Indian national was dismantling an electrical distribution board when he was electrocuted. The worker was conveyed to Changi General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”

According to the Police, they received a call requesting assistance early on Thursday afternoon, at 1:18 pm. “A 27-year-old man was conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead,” CNA quotes the Police as saying.

The man’s name, as well as other details about him and the fatal incident, have yet to be revealed.

This is the second workplace fatality involving a foreign worker in less than a week, as a 39-year-old Indian national figured in a fatal accident on Sunday (Oct 11) when a steel beam fell on him. He had been trying to secure the beams unto a truck loader when the accident occurred. He reportedly died on the spot.

According to an October 13 post on the Traffics accident.SG Facebook page, the worker was an employee of Hai Lek Engineering and Construction located at 40 Tuas West Road. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has since ordered Hai Leck Engineering and Construction to suspend all loading, unloading, and delivery works following the fatal accident, which occurred at the firm’s workshop in Tuas.

In response to inquiries from The Straits Times, MOM said that the worker had been adjusting the binding of the steel beams to the bed of a truck loader. When one lashing got loose, it fell on him, causing his demise.

The police, who had been alerted to the incident at 11:25 on Sunday morning, are currently investigating the matter, according to the straitstimes.com.

Regarding workplace accidents, MOM said on September 28 that the number of injuries sustained in the workplace has decreased by around 25 per cent this year, likely due to temporary workplace closures in the second quarter of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic.—/TISG

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