Two workers died this week in an accident at a shipyard run by Singapore’s Keppel Corp.
The Bangladeshi men, aged 30 and 42, were said to have fallen from a vessel in dry dock at a Tuas shipyard and were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
They were among three men working on scaffolding on the vessel when the structure collapsed, Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower said.
The third worker, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi, managed to cling on to the structure and was rescued by the shipyard’s emergency response team, the ministry said.
The 42-year-old victim is reported to have been employed by Keppel Shipyard, while the other two men worked for a company called Veekee Engineering.
The ministry is investigating the incident and has instructed Keppel Shipyard to stop all work involving structures on the vessel.
Keppel Shipyard said it “deeply regrets” the tragic incident.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the deceased, and we are rendering our full assistance to them,” it added.
“Keppel Shipyard values the life of every worker, and we are working closely with the authorities to conduct thorough investigations and reviews. As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further details.”
The authorities revealed that workplace deaths in Singapore last year were near pre-pandemic figures.
There were 37 fatalities across multiple industries, close to the 39 deaths in pre-pandemic 2019.
Major injuries declined slightly from 629 in 2019 to 610 in 2021, but last year involved a smaller workforce due to the virus.
The ministry did not disclose details of workplace fatalities and major injuries by industry, so it is unclear how many of these incidents occurred in the maritime sector.
However, in late March, a coroner’s inquiry heard how two Bangladeshi workers died from oxygen deficiency inside a ballast tank on a vessel anchored off eastern Singapore.
According to the Workplace Safety & Health Council, one of the men entered the tank without any appropriate personal protective equipment and did not check if the confined space was safe. Shortly after entering, he collapsed and passed out.
After some time, another worker entered the tank to try to rescue the man, but also passed out. A third worker attempted a rescue as well, but he too collapsed inside the tank.
The rest of the crew forced ventilation into the tank and the second worker eventually regained consciousness and managed to climb out.
The other two men, aged 31 and 37, were extricated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force but were pronounced dead at the scene.
