PSA pays fine over worker's death at Keppel Terminal in 2017, but appeals guilty verdict and sentence

PSA pays fine over worker's death at Keppel Terminal in 2017, but appeals guilty verdict and sentence The deceased, 29-year-old technical specialist Lee Swee Loong, was crushed between a rope drum and a trolley platform while carrying out maintenance checks on a crane. SINGAPORE: Port operator PSA Corporation Limited is appealing against its conviction and sentence over the death of its employee at Keppel Terminal in 2017. The deceased, 29-year-old Lee Swee Loong, died on Sep 20, 2017, after being crushed between a rope drum and a trolley platform while carrying out maintenance checks on a crane. PSA was found guilty under the Workplace Safety and Health Act on Mar 16 after a trial at the State Courts. On Jun 4, it was fined S$225,000 (US$175,000) and ordered to pay the fine in full by Jun 12. Court records showed that PSA paid the fine by the deadline. It also filed an appeal against the conviction and sentence on Jun 5. In a statement to CNA on Saturday (Jun 13), a PSA Singapore spokesperson said: "Ensuring the safety, health and welfare of persons at work is fundamental to everything we do, and workplace safety is of paramount importance at our premises. "Following the incident, PSA Singapore fully assisted the investigating authorities. We deeply regret the incident and extend our sincere condolences to the family of our deceased colleague." Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun had convicted PSA of one count of failing to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees, after a 33-day trial. Specifically, PSA was alleged to have failed to effectively implement control measures to prevent its employees from being exposed to rotating parts during maintenance work. PSA was also accused of failing to implement safe work procedures for maintenance work on the crane, according to a charge sheet. Mr Lee, a technical specialist, was carrying out checks on a faulty gearbox on a Mitsui rubber tyred gantry (RTG) crane when the incident occurred. According to agreed facts, he was observing the crane's gearbox to identify the source of abnormal noises while directing a colleague, Mr Mohammad Iqbal Buang, to move the crane. During this inspection, Mr Iqbal saw a black object drop from the trolley platform, which was just above the operator's cabin. He powered down the crane and tried to contact Mr Lee on the walkie-talkie, but there was no response. After climbing up to the trolley platform to check, he saw Mr Lee lodged between the rope drum and a platform next to the motor housing where the gearbox was located. Mr Lee was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency responders arrived. The cause of death was multiple injuries. At the trial, Manpower Ministry prosecutor Delvinder Singh argued that PSA's workplace safety failures caused Mr Lee's death, and that the risk of harm to PSA's employees was "reasonably foreseeable". He argued that PSA knew technical specialists regularly accessed the 23cm-wide, oil-stained platform on the crane, and that this was the only place from which they could properly inspect the gearbox. "Yet PSA provided no safe alternative, no specific procedures for the unique Mitsui RTG crane layout, and no adequate control measures to prevent exposure to rotating parts," Mr Singh said in written submissions. "Instead, PSA relied on generic procedures covering three different crane models that forced employees to improvise dangerous methods daily." CNA has requested the grounds of decision from the State Courts. A corporation found guilty of this offence under the Workplace Safety and Health Act can be fined up to S$500,000. [Image text:] HEING apeg-Loyc