Fatal Tuas fire: MOM to appoint inquiry committee to study what led to explosion that killed 3
SINGAPORE – An inquiry committee will be appointed by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo following the fatal fire and explosion at Stars Engrg on Wednesday (Feb 24).
Three workers died and another five are still in critical condition, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Saturday.
MOM said the committee is expected to carry out a thorough study into the factors that led to the fire and blast.
It will also make recommendations including policy, regulatory or workplace safety and health measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
The committee will be led by a district judge with two technical assessors, and its proceedings will be held in open court.
More details will be announced next week.
The last time an inquiry was convened for a workplace accident was in 2004 to investigate the Nicoll Highway collapse that killed four people.
In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad called Wednesday’s accident one of the most serious workplace incidents in Singapore in recent years.
He said Singapore had made significant improvements to workplace safety and health over the last 15 years.
For instance, the fatal injury rate at workplaces was reduced from 4.9 per 100,000 workers in 2004, to 1.1 per 100,000 workers in 2019.
But he cautioned against being complacent.
He said: “While we have made significant progress, the recent spate of fatal incidents is evidence that we must never be complacent and maintain high safety standards.
“We cannot afford to let down our guard, because every life lost is a breadwinner and a loved one lost.
“I strongly urge all our industry stakeholders to continue to pay close attention to workplace safety as we restart our economy in a safe manner amidst the pandemic.”
He added MOM will share its priorities for the coming year at the annual Committee of Supply debate in Parliament next week, where he will elaborate on the ministry’s continued efforts in ensuring good safety practices at workplaces.