In a heartbreaking incident, 27-year-old diver Muhamad Firdaus Jasni lost his life due to a fallen structure that pinned him underwater at a jetty.
His supervisor, 49-year-old Koh Chiew Tong pleaded guilty to one charge under the Workplace Safety and Health Act on Thursday and was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment, according to The Straits Times.
The Background
The fatal incident took place on Pulau Sebarok, an island located south of Singapore, back in 2018.
A jetty at Pulau Sebarok had been partially damaged because of a previous collision with a chemical tanker on 23 July 2017, and the damaged parts had to be demolished, with the underwater piles holding the jetty needing to be extracted.
Marine Diving & Engineering were then hired to carry out the work the cut the underwater concrete pile, and Firdaus was part of an 8-men dive team, of which Koh was also a member of, who had to dive to remove the concrete piles.
The day of the incident
On 23 June 2018, Koh told Firdaus to begin installing the brackets for the cutting and lifting of the piles, where the divers had to come back to the surface
The divers were supposed to resurface after cutting each pile, and Koh’s role as a supervisor included making sure that the divers were out of the water first before giving the all-clear signal to lift the pile out of the water and onto a crane.
Regrettably, Koh did not follow these safety protocols. Instead, he instructed the divers to cut the piles without lifting them onto the crane barge, allowing them to continue diving and cutting other piles nearby.
This deviation from safety procedures had dire consequences. Two piles that had been cut were left standing without any support.
The two unsupported piles suddenly collapsed, with one of them striking Firdaus and pinning him underwater. His co-diver, who witnessed the horrific incident, quickly surfaced to seek help.
Firdaus was eventually freed with the assistance of his other dive team members, but it was too late, he was already in critical condition and bleeding from his nose and ears – his face had also turned blue and black on the right side.
He was subsequently conveyed to National University Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died later that same day.
Legal Ramifications
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecutor, Delvinder Singh, highlighted Koh’s reckless actions as the direct cause of Firdaus’ death.
Koh’s responsibilities as a diving supervisor included ensuring the safety of his team during their work, but he failed in this crucial duty.
His instructions deviated from established safety guidelines, leading to the deceased’s death.
Furthermore, Koh did not ensure that no diver was in the water after the completion of pile cutting work, further emphasizing his negligence.
Company’s Penalty
As a result of the safety lapses that led to this tragic incident, Marine Diving & Engineering was fined $200,000 on October 3, 2023. This penalty serves as a significant reminder to companies and their employees about the importance of adhering to safety protocols and guidelines to prevent such unfortunate occurrences.