Worker dies after steel bars fell on him at RTS Link station worksite
SINGAPORE: Construction site workplace fatal accident involving a construction worker died and another was injured after an incident at the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link station worksite on Thursday (Jun 27).
Both workers were struck by steel bars when performing steel reinforcement works for a pilecap at the RTS Link Woodlands North station worksite, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told CNA on Friday.
The pilecap is part of the foundation system supporting the station.
At around 9.30am, the steel bars "swayed and fell onto two workers", said LTA.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force and the police said in response to CNA's queries that they received a call for assistance at about 9.50am.
The 48-year-old Bangladeshi worker was brought to Woodlands Health Campus Hospital unconscious, where he subsequently died.
His 49-year-old co-worker, who was conveyed conscious to the same hospital, sustained minor injuries and has been discharged
A safety time-out has been called to review and further enhance the safety process, said LTA.
The authority added that it is assisting the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the police with their investigations.
LTA is also working with the main contractor and sub-contractor involved to assist the family of the deceased.
Penta-Ocean Construction Company is the occupier and main contractor of the worksite and it engaged Interno Engineering as a sub-contractor to perform the work, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in response to CNA's query on Friday.
The employer of the deceased is Maranatha Contractors and the developer for the project is LTA.
"As a general safety measure, a suitable propping system should be designed and installed to support steel reinforcements for tall structures," said MOM.
"The required sequence of propping should be briefed and followed by all workers involved," it added.
MOM has instructed Penta-Ocean Construction to stop all steel reinforcement works in the worksite while investigations are ongoing.
Penta-Ocean was awarded a contract worth S$932.8 million (US$687.7 million) in 2020 for the construction of the RTS Link Woodlands North station, tunnels and the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) building in Singapore.
