Foreign worker crushed at Tengah worksite did not follow colleague's instructions: Coroner

CNA

19-05-2025

SINGAPORE: A foreign worker who died after his chest was crushed at a worksite in Tengah did not follow his colleague's instructions, a coroner's inquiry found on Friday (May 16).
Mr Ponraman Eazhumalai, 23, was crushed by machinery on a truck operated by the same colleague, who did not notice him before the accident happened.
The Indian national suffered the fatal injury on Dec 2, 2023, at a worksite for the upcoming Tengah integrated rail and bus depot in Jurong Road. Coroner Brenda Chua found there was no evidence of foul play in his death, attributing it to a work-related accident.
Mr Eazhumalai was an assistant pump operator at TMC Concrete Pumping Services and his colleague was a concrete pump truck operator.
The two had completed their concrete casting work at about 10.50pm that night, and were preparing to retract the machinery on the truck when the accident happened.
Mr Eazhumalai's colleague retracted the hydraulic jack of the right outrigger, or stabilising leg, at the back of the truck, and instructed him not to remove the metal plates that were placed on the ground below the hydraulic jacks, coroner Brenda Chua found.
His colleague proceeded to close the rear right outrigger while retracting the hydraulic jack for the outrigger at the truck's front right. Since he was looking at the front right hydraulic jack, he did not realise that Mr Eazhumalai had collected the metal plate at the back of the truck, contrary to his instructions.
The 23-year-old Indian national was placing the plate onto the truck after collecting it, and was eventually caught between the machinery and the truck.
Mr Eazhumalai shouted, and his colleague turned around and saw that he was stuck.
The colleague immediately opened the outrigger to release Mr Eazhumalai, who walked and collapsed forward, sustaining abrasions to his forehead and nasal bridge, Judge Chua found.
The colleague who was operating the truck and another worker who was nearby rendered assistance to him. While he was conscious, responsive and did not seem to have any severe visible injuries, he had difficulty breathing.
He was sent to Farrer Park Hospital with a severe chest crush injury, with bleeding in both lungs. He died in the hospital about 18 hours later.
The company's operations manager said during the inquiry that Mr Eazhumalai was supposed to collect the plates only after all the outriggers were retracted.
According to the company's safe work processes, the operator of the truck must also be responsible for safety in the working area when the machine is in use.
For example, the operator must look at the outrigger while closing it to ensure no one is standing between the machinery and the truck.
Mr Vellaisamy had not looked at the machinery or noticed Mr Eazhumalai, though the latter was within his visual field and wearing a bright yellow reflective vest, the court heard.
At the time of the inquiry, the Ministry of Manpower was considering taking enforcement actions against the parties involved. Court documents did not state which parties these were.
Mr Eazhumalai's family members had initial concerns about why he was not sent to a hospital nearer to the worksite. In response, Judge Chua noted that he was brought to the hospital in a conscious and responsive state.
The 23-year-old survived for several hours, going through imaging and other procedures before he passed away, she added.
'As such, it did not appear that the time difference taken to travel to a further hospital within Singapore … would have significantly contributed to his death.'