Latest news with #ActiveGlobalRespiteCare
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Eldercare staff fined $10k each after elderly man in wheelchair died from fall off van platform
Myanmar national Moe Thadar, then 49, was a healthcare assistant at the time, while Singaporean Kwa Kim Seng, then 67, was employed as a van driver. Eldercare staff fined $10k each after elderly man in wheelchair died from fall off van platform Shaffiq Alkhatib The Straits Times June 3, 2025 Two employees of an eldercare services provider were helping clients board its van when one of the senior citizens fell off the vehicle's wheelchair lift platform and his head struck the ground. Mr Hassan Mohamed Karchi Arsan Osman, 76, was unconscious when he was taken to the National University Hospital on Feb 3, 2021, and died of a head injury at 9.35pm that day. On June 3, Active Global Respite Care was fined $7,000 after it was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations. Court documents stated that it failed to implement safety control measures and safe work procedures governing the use of the wheelchair lift at the rear of the van. Two people, who were working for the company when the incident took place, were each fined $10,000 in December 2023. Myanmar national Moe Thadar, then 49, was a healthcare assistant at the time, while Singaporean Kwa Kim Seng, then 67, was employed as a van driver. They failed to ensure that the brakes of Mr Hassan's wheelchair were engaged, causing his death. For the current case, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court that Active Global Respite Care owned two vans used for transporting elderly clients between their homes and a senior care centre at Block 31A Ghim Moh Link. A healthcare assistant would be present in each van to assist with the transportation. Each van was installed with a wheelchair lift, allowing wheelchair users to get into the vehicle through a platform that could be raised. At around 4.40pm on Feb 3, 2021, Moe Thadar and Kwa were helping the clients to board one of the vans at the senior care centre's pickup point. Ms Boo said: "When Moe wheeled (Mr Hassan) from the pickup point onto the wheelchair lift platform, she failed to engage the brakes of (his) wheelchair. "As Moe was walking away, she told Kwa, 'uncle, hold', in order to inform him that (Mr Hassan) was ready to be lifted. Kwa proceeded to raise the wheelchair lift platform while chatting with a colleague." As the platform was reaching the top of the lift, in line with the van, Kwa did not wait for a healthcare assistant inside the van to grab hold of the wheelchair. Kwa released his grip on Mr Hassan's wheelchair, which rolled backwards and off the platform. Mr Hassan's head struck the ground when he fell. He was pronounced dead later that day. Ms Boo told the court that prior to the incident, Active Global Respite Care had no documented risk assessment on the transportation of its clients using a van with a wheelchair lift. She added that on the day of the incident, multiple control measures to minimise safety risks to Mr Hassan were not implemented. These included ensuring that wheelchair brakes were engaged before activating the wheelchair lift. Defence lawyers Gloria James-Civetta and Noelle Teoh, who represented Active Global Respite Care, on June 3 pleaded for their client to be given a fine of not more than $5,000. The pair from Gloria James-Civetta & Co added: "The incident was an isolated and unprecedented occurrence that tragically resulted in the passing of the late Mr Hassan. "Prior to the incident on Feb 3, 2021, Active Global had operated in Singapore for several years without any record of similar serious incidents or accidents. It is also noted that the late Mr Hassan had successfully completed nearly 500 rides with Active Global over the course of his engagement, without issue." The lawyers stated in court documents that since the incident, their client has taken immediate and proactive measures to address any gaps in its safety protocols. This includes updating its standard operating procedure in June 2021 to further enhance clients' safety during transportation. It also deployed additional manpower to act as traffic marshals at the drop-off and pickup points of its centres, the court heard. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Eldercare services firm gets S$7,000 fine over death of 76-year-old whose wheelchair fell off an elevated platform
SINGAPORE: A company that provides eldercare services was ordered to pay a S$7,000 (US$5,400) fine on Tuesday (Jun 3) after a senior under its care died when his wheelchair rolled off a van platform during transportation. Mr Hassan Mohamed Karchi Arsan Osman's head struck the ground and he died of a head injury. The 76-year-old was a client of Active Global Respite Care, which provided transportation services for elderly clients, among other eldercare services. The company was on Tuesday convicted of a charge under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for failing to implement control measures and safe work procedures to minimise the risks of using a wheelchair lift. Another charge of a similar nature under the same Act was taken into consideration for sentencing. The company owned two vans that took clients between their homes and a senior care centre located along Ghim Moh Link. During the transportation process, a healthcare assistant would be present in each van to help. At the back of each vehicle was a wheelchair lift, which was a platform that could be raised or lowered so that wheelchair users could board or alight from the van. Van driver Kwa Kim Seng, 67, and the healthcare assistant Moe Thadar, 49, both employees of the company, were helping Mr Hassan to board the van via the platform when the incident happened. Each was previously sentenced to a S$10,000 fine for their roles in Mr Hassan's death. On Feb 3, 2021 at about 4.40pm, the van driven by Kwa was at a daycare centre's pick-up point. Mr Hassan was among the elders to be taken home and Moe Thadar wheeled him onto the platform. However, she failed to engage the brakes of his wheelchair. As she walked away, she told Kwa: 'Uncle, hold.' This was to inform him that Mr Hassan was ready to be lifted, so Kwa proceeded to raise the wheelchair lift platform from the back of the van while holding onto the wheelchair and chatting with a colleague. As the platform was about to be level with the van's interior floor, Kwa removed his grip on the wheelchair before the healthcare assistant within the vehicle had a hold on it. The wheelchair rolled backwards, fell off the platform and Mr Hassan's head struck the ground. The back of his head bled from the impact. He was taken to the hospital unconscious and died that night, with his cause of death certified to be a head injury. The prosecution said that the company relied merely on verbal communication of safety measures when employees were getting training on the job. The company lacked a documented risk assessment on the transportation of their clients using a van with a wheelchair lift. The Ministry of Manpower's prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court: "Before the fatal incident, there were inconsistencies in handling wheelchair users on wheelchair lifts as employees taught new employees based on what they were taught, relying on memory and a verbal chain of communication." Active Global Respite Care also did not have documented procedures to guide employees on safety measures for the use of the wheelchair lift. The defence lawyers, Ms Gloria James-Civetta and Ms Noelle Teoh, said the company was appointed by the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care to operate the Ghim Moh centre. They argued for their client to be given a fine of not more than S$5,000. Although the harm was high, the culpability was low in this case, the lawyers said, referring to the firm's unblemished record. "The incident was an isolated and unprecedented occurrence that tragically resulted in the passing of the late Mr Hassan. "Prior to the incident ... Active Global had operated in Singapore for several years without any record of similar serious incidents or accidents." The lawyers also argued that there were protocols and procedures to protect the passengers but they were not followed in this instance. "It is acknowledged that control measures in place were insufficient to ensure that staff members complied with the safety protocols intended to minimise the risks associated with using the wheelchair lift at the rear of the van. "However, the defence submits that this lapse was due to negligence, not intentional wrongdoing." In mitigation, the lawyers highlighted that the company and its representatives have accepted responsibility and fully cooperated with the authorities, in addition to pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. Since the incident, the company has addressed gaps in its safety protocols and has deployed more workers at drop-off and pick-up points to enhance safety. "Weekly checks have also been implemented to ensure compliance with (standard operating procedures), with stern warnings and retraining issued to any non-compliant staff," they said.
New Paper
4 days ago
- Business
- New Paper
Eldercare services provider fined after client in wheelchair rolled off van platform and later died
Two employees of an eldercare services provider were helping clients board its van when one of the senior citizens fell off the vehicle's wheelchair lift platform and his head struck the ground. Mr Hassan Mohamed Karchi Arsan Osman, 76, was unconscious when he was taken to the National University Hospital, and he died of a head injury at 9.35pm on Feb 3, 2021. On June 3, Active Global Respite Care was fined $7,000 after it was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations. Court documents stated that the company had failed to implement safety control measures and safe work procedures governing the use of the wheelchair lift at the rear of the van. Two people, who were working for Active Global Respite Care when the incident took place, were each fined $10,000 in December 2023. Myanmar national Moe Thadar, then 49, was a health care assistant at the time while Singaporean Kwa Kim Seng, then 67, was employed as a van driver. They had failed to ensure that the brakes of Mr Hassan's wheelchair were engaged, causing his death. For the current case, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court that Active Global Respite Care owned two vans used for transporting elderly clients between their homes and a senior care centre located at Block 31A, Ghim Moh Link. A health care assistant would be present in each van to assist with the transportation of such elderly clients. Each van was installed with a wheelchair lift at its rear. This lift allowed wheelchair users to be loaded onto the vehicle through a platform that could be raised. At around 4.40pm on Feb 3, 2021, Moe Thadar and Kwa were at work, helping the company's elderly clients board one of the vans at the senior care centre's pickup point. Ms Boo said: "When Moe wheeled (Mr Hassan) from the pickup point onto the wheelchair lift platform, she failed to engage the brakes of (his) wheelchair. "As Moe was walking away, she told Kwa 'uncle, hold', in order to inform him that (Mr Hassan) was ready to be lifted. Kwa proceeded to raise the wheelchair lift platform while chatting with a colleague." As the platform was reaching the top of the lift, in line with the van, Kwa did not wait for a health care assistant inside the van to grab hold of the wheelchair. Kwa released his grip off Mr Hassan's wheelchair, which then rolled backwards and off the platform. Mr Hassan's head struck the ground when he fell. He was pronounced dead later that day. Ms Boo told the court that prior to the incident, Active Global Respite Care had no documented risk assessment on the transportation of their clients using a van with a wheelchair lift. She added that on the day of the incident, multiple control measures to minimise safety risks to Mr Hassan were also not implemented. These included ensuring that wheelchair brakes were engaged before activating the wheelchair lift. Defence lawyers Gloria James-Civetta and Noelle Teoh, who represented Active Global Respite Care, on June 3 pleaded for their client to be given a fine of not more than $5,000. The pair from Gloria James-Civetta & Co added: "The incident was an isolated and unprecedented occurrence that tragically resulted in the passing of the late Mr Hassan. "Prior to the incident on Feb 3, 2021, Active Global had operated in Singapore for several years without any record of similar serious incidents or accidents. It is also noted that the late Mr Hassan had successfully completed nearly 500 rides with Active Global over the course of his engagement, without issue." The lawyers stated in court documents that since the incident, their client has taken immediate and proactive measures to address any gaps in its safety protocols. This includes updating its standard operating procedure in June 2021 to further enhance the clients' safety during transportation. The company has also deployed additional manpower to act as traffic marshals at the drop-off and pick-up points of its centres, the court heard.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Eldercare services provider fined after client in wheelchair rolled off van platform and later died
Eldercare services provider fined after client in wheelchair rolled off van platform and later died SINGAPORE – Two employees of an eldercare services provider were helping clients board its van when one of the senior citizens fell off the vehicle's wheelchair lift platform and his head struck the ground. Mr Hassan Mohamed Karchi Arsan Osman, 76, was unconscious when he was taken to the National University Hospital, and he died of a head injury at 9.35pm on Feb 3, 2021. On June 3, Active Global Respite Care was fined $7,000 after it was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations. Court documents stated that the company had failed to implement safety control measures and safe work procedures governing the use of the wheelchair lift at the rear of the van. Two people, who were working for Active Global Respite Care when the incident took place, were each fined $10,000 in December 2023. Myanmar national Moe Thadar, then 49, was a health care assistant at the time while Singaporean Kwa Kim Seng, then 67, was employed as a van driver. They had failed to ensure that the brakes of Mr Hassan's wheelchair were engaged, causing his death. For the current case, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court that Active Global Respite Care owned two vans used for transporting elderly clients between their homes and a senior care centre located at Block 31A, Ghim Moh Link. A health care assistant would be present in each van to assist with the transportation of such elderly clients. Each van was installed with a wheelchair lift at its rear. This lift allowed wheelchair users to be loaded onto the vehicle through a platform that could be raised. At around 4.40pm on Feb 3, 2021, Moe Thadar and Kwa were at work, helping the company's elderly clients board one of the vans at the senior care centre's pickup point. Ms Boo said: 'When Moe wheeled ( Mr Hassan) from the pickup point onto the wheelchair lift platform, she failed to engage the brakes of (his) wheelchair. 'As Moe was walking away, she told Kwa 'uncle, hold', in order to inform him that (Mr Hassan) was ready to be lifted. Kwa proceeded to raise the wheelchair lift platform while chatting with a colleague.' As the platform was reaching the top of the lift, in line with the van, Kwa did not wait for a health care assistant inside the van to grab hold of the wheelchair. Kwa released his grip off Mr Hassan's wheelchair, which then rolled backwards and off the platform. Mr Hassan's head struck the ground when he fell. He was pronounced dead later that day . Ms Boo told the court that prior to the incident, Active Global Respite Care had no documented risk assessment on the transportation of their clients using a van with a wheelchair lift. She added that on the day of the incident, multiple control measures to minimise safety risks to Mr Hassan were also not implemented. These included ensuring that wheelchair brakes were engaged before activating the wheelchair lift. Defence lawyers Gloria James-Civetta and Noelle Teoh, who represented Active Global Respite Care, on June 3 pleaded for their client to be given a fine of not more than $5,000. The pair from Gloria James-Civetta & Co added: 'The incident was an isolated and unprecedented occurrence that tragically resulted in the passing of the late Mr Hassan. 'Prior to the incident on Feb 3, 2021, Active Global had operated in Singapore for several years without any record of similar serious incidents or accidents. It is also noted that the late Mr Hassan had successfully completed nearly 500 rides with Active Global over the course of his engagement, without issue.' The lawyers stated in court documents that since the incident, their client has taken immediate and proactive measures to address any gaps in its safety protocols. This includes updating its standard operating procedure in June 2021 to further enhance the clients' safety during transportation. The company has also deployed additional manpower to act as traffic marshals at the drop-off and pick-up points of its centres, the court heard. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
