Public hearings into Tuas industrial fire that killed 3 workers to start on Sept 20: MOM
On Feb 24, 2021, an accident happened on the premises of Stars Engrg, which supplies fire protection systems, at 32E Tuas Avenue 11.
SINGAPORE — Public hearings into a fire that killed three workers at a Tuas industrial unit in February will begin next Monday (Sept 20), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Thursday.
In a statement, MOM said that the first tranche of hearings would be held at Court 8A of the State Courts from 10am to 5pm on these dates:
Sept 20 to 24
Sept 27 to Oct 1
Oct 4 to 8
These hearings will focus on ascertaining the causes and circumstances of the accident, and the dates and times may be subject to change.
The second tranche of hearings, from Nov 15 to 19, will review the recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such accidents.
The details of these hearings will be announced later, MOM said.
Ten workers were injured in the accident on Feb 24 on the premises of Stars Engrg, which supplies fire protection systems, at 32E Tuas Avenue 11.
Three of them later died.
Based on early investigations, the blaze was caused by the ignition of potato starch powder, which is combustible when dispersed in the air in a confined space.
MOM said that the last injured worker was discharged from hospital in June.
In February, the ministry announced that it would appoint an inquiry committee under the Workplace Safety and Health Act to look into the factors that led to the fatal accident.
The committee is chaired by Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun, who is assisted by two technical assessors. They are Mr Lucas Ng, a professional engineer, and Dr Peter Nagler, chief innovation officer at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
A team of State Counsel, led by Ms Kristy Tan, will present evidence at the hearings.
MOM said in its latest statement that its investigation team had been carrying out investigations, facilitated by State Counsel, since the accident.
“These include visiting the site and gathering evidence, identifying and interviewing key witnesses, and commissioning forensic testing and expert simulations for machineries and materials involved in the accident,” it said.
The ministry added that fact and expert witnesses were expected to give their testimonies in the first tranche of hearings.
The hearings will be open to the public, but there will be capacity limits in the courtroom owing to infection controls against Covid-19.
