MOM lodges appeal seeking higher fine for PSA over death of worker at Keppel Terminal in 2017
Technical specialist Lee Swee Loong, 33, was crushed between a rope drum and a trolley platform while carrying out checks on a crane.
Stacks of containers at the Keppel terminal in Singapore. (File photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has launched an appeal for a higher fine for PSA Corporation Limited over the death of a worker at Keppel Terminal in 2017.
The ministry wants a heavier sentence for the port operator after 33-year-old Lee Swee Loong was crushed between a rope drum and a trolley platform while carrying out maintenance checks on a crane.
The technical specialist died on Sep 20, 2017.
PSA was found guilty of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health Act on Mar 16 this year after a trial at the State Courts.
On Jun 4, it was fined S$225,000 (US$175,000).
The following day, PSA lodged an appeal against the conviction and sentence. Court records also showed it had paid the fine by the Jun 12 deadline.
MOM filed its appeal on Monday (Jun 15).
In earlier arguments, it had called for a fine of S$300,000 to S$350,000, contending that PSA's safety failures were "clearly systemic, spanning over a decade of corporate negligence”.
After a 33-day trial, Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun convicted PSA of one count of failing to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees.
Specifically, PSA was alleged to have failed to effectively implement control measures to prevent its employees from being exposed to rotating parts during maintenance work.
PSA was also accused of failing to implement safe work procedures for maintenance work on the crane, according to a charge sheet.
A corporation found guilty of this offence under the Workplace Safety and Health Act can be fined up to S$500,000.
Mr Lee was carrying out checks on a faulty gearbox on a Mitsui rubber tyred gantry crane when the incident occurred.
He was observing the crane's gearbox to identify the source of abnormal noises while directing a colleague to move the crane.
During this inspection, his colleague saw a black object drop from the trolley platform, which was just above the operator's cabin.
After climbing up to the trolley platform to check, he saw Mr Lee lodged between the rope drum and a platform next to the motor housing where the gearbox was located.
Mr Lee was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. The cause of death was multiple injuries.
Editor's note: The age of the deceased has been corrected in this article following an update from the Manpower Ministry.
