As with every high-risk activity, “safety is the number one priority” is what you would commonly hear.
While a majority of us are sheltered in our middle-class jobs, there are the less fortunate who are labouring away to feed their families.
And for most construction workers, their lives are often put on the line.
Man passes away after falling at Tuas warehouse construction site
A man was discovered dead at the building site of an upcoming warehouse on Thursday (10 June). He is suspected to have fallen to his death.
A representative for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Saturday that the 25-year-old Bangladeshi was working on the building of a stairwell. While crossing the gap between the stairwell’s walls, a structure used to bridge the gap gave way. That caused him to plunge 40m to his death.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police mentioned that they were alerted to a call to the incident at 20 Tuas South Avenue 14 at 5.30pm that day.
When paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) appeared, they said the man was dead.
Investigations are ongoing but no foul play is suspected, the police said.
The site of the tragedy is where the Logos Tuas Logistics Hub is being built. Once finished, it will hold one two-storey warehouse and another four-storey one.
The complex spans an area nearly six times the size of the Padang. The first phase of construction is slated to be done in the fourth quarter of this year.
For reference, the proportion of Padang is around five football fields. So just do the math.
The man who passed on was confirmed to be an employee of one of the Logos’ contractors, a spokesman verified.
“Logos is currently investigating the details of the incident and is working closely with the general contractor and cooperating with the local authorities,” she said.
The MOM spokesman told ST that the occupier of the site is HPC Builders, and the man was employed by BHD Construction.
While the MOM is looking into the matter, work on the stairwells by HPC Builders has been ordered to stop.
The cruciality of workplace safety measures
Any workplace death is one too many, especially if they could have been avoided.
As such, safety measures should be strictly adhered to, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.
To the family of the victim, we extend our heartfelt condolences and wish they’ll be well-taken care of.
Featured Image: Youtube (LOGOS South East Asia)