SMRT Trains fined $240,000 over accident that killed technical officer

SINGAPORE – Rail operator SMRT Trains was fined $240,000 on May 5 over an accident at Bishan Depot in March 2020 that killed one of its technical officers.

The company was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, as it had failed to take reasonable measures to ensure its employees’ safety at the depot in Bishan Road.

On March 23, 2020, Mr Muhammad Afiq Senawi, 30, and a colleague were using a hydraulic press machine (HPM) to replace some train-related components.

Mr Afiq had placed a component into the machine, and activated the piston to carry out the task.

However, he had failed to remove a similar older component. Due to a pressure build-up, a spacer rod that weighed nearly 3kg flew out of the machine, broke through the fencing gate near the machine, and struck his face.

Mr Afiq was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he died of face and chest injuries at 10.15am that day.

Coroner Christopher Goh later ruled his death to be an unfortunate misadventure.

Among other things, an investigation later revealed that SMRT Trains had failed to install a pressure gauge for the HPM after dismantling it for repairs.

On May 5, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court that the spacer rod had not been secured to any other component, adding: “There was thus a hazard of the spacer rod displacing from its position and shooting out during operations.”

She also said that a maintenance work record dated June 11, 2018, stated that the hydraulic pressure gauge was damaged.

As a result, there was no indication of the pressure of the HPM available when it was in operation.

The damage was reported to an engineering maintenance manager, who instructed for the gauge to be dismantled. However, he later overlooked its reinstallation.

Another work record dated Dec 16 that year stated that the pressure gauge was sent for calibration.

Court documents stated that the most recent maintenance of the HPM prior to the tragedy was carried out on Jan 2, 2020. The gauge was still not installed then.

Ms Boo said: “(SMRT Trains) had failed to ensure that a pressure gauge, which was a safety measure identified in the HPM operation manual, was installed for the HPM. Once the activating lever was pulled by the operator, the piston would continually move downwards to generate a downward push motion.

“Even though HPM operators were not required to monitor the exact pressure involved in the operation, the presence of a pressure gauge would provide an indication to operators on whether the force applied in any installation or removal had increased disproportionately.”

SMRT Trains had also failed to limit the pressure setting of the HPM, which would reduce operators’ exposure to a force far beyond what was necessary for its intended use, thus lowering the risks of harm the operators are exposed to.

SMRT Trains was charged in court in 2023.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.