S’porean mover dies after falling 7 storeys at Robertson Quay condominium

Singapore – A 23-year-old Singaporean mover died after falling backwards from a ladder over a parapet wall on a 10th-floor unit of a condominium at Watermark@Robertson Quay.

The Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSH) released a bulletin advisory on Monday (Apr 12) regarding the accident.

A group of workers were tasked to move and dispose of furniture and electrical appliances from a unit on the 10th floor of a residential building on Apr 5, read the WSH Alert.

One of the workers was standing on a ladder when he fell backwards over a parapet wall in the service yard area and landed on the third floor below.

The man was pronounced dead by attending paramedics.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued the man’s employer, Apex Worldwide Movers & Services, a stop-work order, reported The Straits Times on Tuesday (Apr 13).

The man was “standing on a ladder when he fell backwards over an opening that was above a 1m-high parapet wall in the service yard. He fell from the 10th floor and landed on the third floor,” said a MOM representative.

MOM is investigating the incident.

The latest case was the 13th workplace fatality this year from 11 incidents, said MOM. Another fatal fall on Feb 10 involved a permanent resident and director at JMS Construction, Mr Koh Kok Heng, falling 4.7 metres through an opening in the floor while overseeing construction work at a semi-detached house in University Walk.

The injured director was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, said WSH in a separate notice.

In its latest advisory, WSH reminded employers and principals undertaking similar work involving mover services to consider and implement applicable risk control measures such as identifying on-site hazards and briefing workers of possible risks.

Workers must also be adequately supervised to ensure safety, said WSH./TISG

Read related: Three workplace fatalities in two days: Construction firms urged to review safety protocols

Three workplace fatalities in two days: Construction firms urged to review safety protocols