SINGAPORE: A container stacker machine operator was listening to music and driving when he lowered a container that crushed a man in 2021.
The inquiry into Mr Teo Ser Kiong’s loss of life opened on Tuesday (Feb 7). He died aged 49 on Oct 1, 2021, after being crushed by a 20-foot container at a building web site at 15 Pioneer Crescent.
Investigators from the police and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) took the stand to element their report findings.
The court docket heard that Mr Teo, who labored for Allied Container (Engineers and Producers), was on the work web site with colleagues, together with the machine operator, Mr Arumugam Ganesan.
Mr Teo was holding a stack of papers checking containers for harm when Mr Ganesan, 42, operated the container stacker machine to shift a container.
He picked up the container from the second degree and lifted it to the third degree, earlier than driving to a different location.
Whereas driving, he lowered the container to its supposed location on the identical time.
Mr Teo was standing in entrance of the machine, and Mr Ganesan continued to drive ahead. The machine struck Mr Teo with out Mr Ganesan realising.
He realised one thing was fallacious solely when he used the machine to position the container on the bottom and located that the container couldn’t be lowered utterly, as if there was an obstruction.
Mr Ganesan lifted the container once more and checked beneath to see Mr Teo on the ground.
He instantly alerted his supervisor, and the police and Singapore Civil Defence Pressure have been known as to the scene.
Mr Teo was discovered mendacity face up, and paramedics declared him lifeless on the scene.
In response to Mr Ganesan, he was listening to music on the time of the incident. The music got here from a radio positioned on high of the stacking machine, and he was not utilizing his cellphone.
Nevertheless, Mr Ganesan admitted that his line of sight was obstructed because of the reducing of the container whereas he was driving the machine ahead.
An post-mortem discovered Mr Teo’s reason for loss of life to be a number of accidents together with a number of fractures.
Police don’t suspect any foul play within the case.
The court docket heard that Mr Teo was a really hardworking employee, with no disputes or unhappiness with anybody at work.
WORKPLACE SAFETY BREACHES
In response to the investigating officers, Mr Teo being on the location on the time was a breach of office security procedures.
He ought to have knowledgeable the depot supervisor that he was going to be current, and obtained authorisation from the supervisor.
The supervisor would then inform the stacker who was on location to cease operations. Mr Teo was purported to enter solely after receiving affirmation from the depot supervisor.
In different phrases, when stackers are working within the yard, nobody else ought to be strolling round on the identical time, the coroner stated.
Mr Ganesan was driving the machine ahead and reducing it on the identical time, which he was not purported to do, stated the MOM investigator.
The operator’s view is to stay clear always, and if his view is blocked, there ought to be no motion by the machine, he stated.
When the stacker is being operated vertically, the automobile ought to be in a stationary place.
The MOM investigator stated the ministry is considering taking motion towards “the party involved”, beneath the Office Security and Well being Act.
He didn’t specify who this celebration was, and declined remark when approached after the listening to.
Earlier stories state {that a} 42-year-old man was arrested for a rash act inflicting loss of life after the incident.
Mr Teo was the thirtieth office fatality for 2021, MOM stated on the time.
The listening to was attended by Mr Teo’s widow, who wiped away tears through the inquiry, in addition to Mr Teo’s niece.
Findings will probably be issued at a later date.
#asiannews #asian_news
