07 Dec 2018
Ref No.: 071218 (1)
UEN: S97SS0046G
Dear Valued ASPRI Members,
Accident Notification: Worker pinned by fallen goods from container
| 6 December 2018, Ref: 1819069 |
On 22 November 2018 around 7:20pm, the driver of a forklift was checking the goods in a newly arrived container that was parked at the common area of an industrial building, when a pallet holding a bundle of rubber sheets in the container fell onto him. The worker was found unconscious and subsequently pronounced dead at the accident scene.
The Ministry of Manpower has commenced investigations into the accident.
The industry is reminded to conduct a comprehensive Risk Assessment (RA) for the checking of goods from a container. Prior to the checking of goods, precautions must be taken against the likelihood of goods falling out of the container once the container door is opened. To prevent goods from shifting during transit and/ or falling out of the container, stakeholders (e.g. supplier(s) of the goods stocked in the container and all involved in the supply chain) must ensure that the goods are secured. If the goods are on pallets, they must be fastened to the pallets (e.g. by shrink-wrapping or stretch-wrapping the goods to the pallet). Otherwise, the goods must be adequately contained or restrained to prevent the goods from toppling or being displaced while in transit. Drivers of vehicles containing cargo must drive carefully and in such a way so as not to destabilise the cargo. Workers must be aware of the contents of the container, trained in the safe work procedure for checking of goods from a container, and reminded to adopt a safe work position when opening the container doors.