SMRT track accident: Injured worker had right foot rolled over by maintenance train
SINGAPORE — The SMRT employee who was injured — and subsequently had to have his foot amputated — in a track accident near Joo Koon MRT station last week was conducting an oil leak inspection when the maintenance train on the track rolled over his foot.
In a press release on Friday (Dec 21), the rail operator said that the staff member, who was part of a team of six, was on the track to inspect for oil leaks from the maintenance train as an oil spill on the track would affect the safety of train operations.
The team had been preparing the maintenance train to return to the depot and was conducting a brake test when the accident occurred.
“The brake test is a necessary procedure to ensure that the locomotives and the track tamping machine are properly coupled and that the brakes are functioning before moving back to the depot. This test involves limited movement of the maintenance train,” said SMRT.
The brake test was stopped immediately when “one of the team members spotted the injured staff lying on the track”.
“The rest of the team went forward to provide first aid to the injured (employee) whose right foot had been rolled over by the maintenance train,” said SMRT.
“(The Singapore Civil Defence Force) was activated and the injured staff was sent to the hospital where the lower part of his right leg was amputated,” it added.
The injured staff is currently in a stable condition, the rail operator said.
The accident delayed the start of train services on Wednesday last week between Gul Circle and Boon Lay MRT stations by almost an hour.
A safety timeout was observed by SMRT’s maintenance teams following the accident.
