MOM Updates on Jurong Shipyard Accident (Singapore)

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has confirmed with Jurong Shipyard that all workers have been accounted for. Of the 89 workers who were sent to hospital for treatment after the accident, the majority of workers have been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for minor injuries.

As of 8pm yesterday, December 04, out of the 89 admitted to hospital, 80 have been discharged. Of the remaining nine, six are in the normal wards while the other three are under observation.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Manpower Hawazi Daipi went down to Singapore General Hospital’s A&E department this evening, where he visited two workers who were under observation at the A&E ward. They included a 22 year-old Singaporean female engineer and a Bangladeshi worker.

Speaking to reporters outside the A&E department after the visit, Mr Hawazi said, “MOM takes a very serious view of the accident – this is one of the worst industrial accidents we have seen in recent times. The priority now is to look after the injured and ensure that they receive the best care possible. It is also important to stabilise the situation at the work site and investigate the accident thoroughly to find out what went wrong.”

He added, “I would just like to remind all employers that safety of workers is of paramount importance and we should learn from every accident that has happened so that we will not see a recurrence of similar accidents.”

MOM’s Occupational Safety & Health inspectors were on-site immediately after they were notified of the accident.

Preliminary findings suggest that one of the jacking mechanisms failed for the rig Noble Regina Allen berthed at the shipyard, causing the main hull of the rig to list to one side, leading to the accident.

MOM has instructed all work to stop at the affected rig and is currently investigating the accident.

[mappress]

Press Release, December 04, 2012