Dear Friends,
I just created a petition: Support Singaporeans First, because I care deeply about this very important issue.
I'm trying to collect 5000 signatures, and I could really use your help.
To read more about what I'm trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/support-singaporeans-first?share_id=klVlbQqhRt&
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Gilbert
Number of View: 1400
Dear Sir/Mdm,
In the year 2007, a deadly explosion occurred in a Waste Recycle Plant and one innocent worker was killed.
The Ministry Of Manpower charged the company and its plant Manager for compromising safety in the work place resulting in the death of one of its plant general worker.
My question is why didn’t the MOM carried out a full-scale investigation into the cause of the explosion instead of concluding that the Manager of the plant did not comply with the work place safety regulation?
The worker did not die from a fall or any physical abuse, he died from an explosion from the plant’s storage tank and it was very lucky that only one person died and it could have been more if the under-classed storage tank had exploded horizontally instead of just upwards.
I think the MOM charge involving just the Manager was incorrect – as manager he was always busy with the office work and he has entrusted his site work to his Site Superintendent who must report to him if anything is amiss in the plant.
The Jurong Police Station handed over the investigation of the cause of the explosion to the SCDF for their analysis and report, and it was concluded that the content in the tank during that day was of high combustive and high flammable liquid with traces of petroleum in them and they emitted high flammable vapours when disturbed.
I have the SCDF report with me and feel that the correct person needs to be charged should be the Site Superintendent as he did not perform his job diligently resulting in the death of his fellow colleague.
I have highlighted to the National Environment Agency about this issue and the reply was that the MOM had taken action already and the case is deemed closed.
But, the plant is still receiving all kinds of highly flammable liquid waste and i understand that the plant does not have a license for flammable liquid waste categorised at no.3, i.e. kerosene, patrol, diesel etc… After my complaint to the SCDF about the misleading warning signboards around the plant, the management quickly painted away the no.3 on all its signboards.
I was also told that the company benefited from the death of the worker by claiming from their insurance company millions of dollars and is it fair to gain from unknowingly innocent workers who put their lives in their work and in the end got killed by this kind of preventable accident?
The NEA should re-open this case and re-investigate the cause of the accident with the help of the SCDF and bring the culprit to court for his negligence in causing the death of the worker as I have a few good friends still working in the plant but working in fear after learning from me the cause of the actual accident.
Yours truly,
Eddie Tan
c.c. - CAD (Attn: Michelle)
CPIB (Atnt: Tay Yong Koon)
MOM (Attn: Leem Seng Kok)
MPA (Attn: Capt Ram)
*********
SINGAPORE: NSL OilChem Services Pte Ltd (NSL) and its general manager have been fined for failing to provide a safe workplace, resulting in the death of a worker.
In the Subordinate Courts Tuesday, NSL was fined $80,000 and its general manager, Ong Beng Tit, was fined $15,000.
The incident happened on 3 May 2007 at about 7am at a crude oil extraction plant in Tanjong Kling Road.
The worker, who was employed as a marine trade worker by Prime Project Pte Ltd, was caught in a flash fire while walking out of the pump house, which was situated beside the tank farm area.
The flash fire was caused when escaped flammable vapour from two storage tanks reached an oil lamp with a naked light on an altar near the tank farm area.
The flammable vapour had built up within the tank farm area because the surrounding metal hoarding, trees and fencing had acted as barriers to the dissipation of the flammable vapour by the wind.
The worker suffered 70 per cent second—degree burns.
He died in hospital on May 8.
Investigations by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed that NSL had failed to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that the workplace was safe and without risks.
The flash point stated in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of recovered fuel oil was inconsistent with the actual properties of the contents in the two storage tanks.
The design and layout of the tanks and farm area were inadequate to allow for the safe venting of the flammable vapour.
A damaged hole on the roof top of one of the storage tanks had allowed more flammable vapour to escape from the tank to the surrounding environment.
An oil lamp with a naked light on an altar was found near the tank farm area.
MOM’s director of Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate Silas Sng said: “The flash fire could have been prevented if the company had taken the necessary safety measures, such as ensuring that there was no naked flame near the tank farm or repairing the hole on the rooftop of the tank.
“The accident was all the more regrettable that the general manager of the company failed to rectify the inadequacies despite having the opportunity to do so.”
Mr Sng said the fines meted out by the court serve to remind all stakeholders that each of them has a role and responsibility to play to ensure workplace safety and health, and to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives.
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4229483
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Have we Singapoeans become so heartless that we just want to get money regardless of how we get it. Just because the big boys can get it done to make fictitious claims to justify payouts, regardless of how rich the organisation is, we will do it. Karma will strike, just like they have done to the heads of scdf and cnb. ill-gotten gains got a price to be paid eventually. it is really sad for us, singaporeans whom have lost all our humane values.
We pray that redemtion is nigh and the GOVERNMENT must take expeditious actions to eradicate this cancer in our society or else we are doomed.
Please rightous government of singapore get to the bottom of this travesty of injustice and stop this operation of potential hazard to human lifes from happening again. When and how can all the culprits act with impunity for their own gains, at the expense of honest and hardworking people.
Government of Singapore, have a heart and stopped your people from committing all this crimes against humanity.
Hi Gill, another incident involving the SCDF…? But, this time you got to be more careful as its Commissioner
is being investigated by the CPIB. In your story about the MOM charging the wrong person how can this happen to our ever reliable Authorities…? Unless the rich and strong are taking advantage of the poor and weak…! God is always Great and the truth will be out soon.
Well said. we pray for redemption. it will come, soon.
I think the plant Superintendent needs to be charged as he was the one that received most of the waste oil from their contractors, in land and from the sea. His failure to perform his duty diligently caused the death of his fellow colleague as findings from the investigating party, the SCDF, had shown according to the whistle blower. NSL Ltd is a reputable Co.and i understand that they have their own Fraud Investigation Dept and i think the Superintendent needs to be investigated regarding his relationship with their contractors, esp. their sole sea port contractor.
bro, WHY IT TAKES THE Authorities so long to look into this mess? Justice pls.