M.C. Packaging Charged For Two Workplace Deaths

1. M. C. Packaging (Pte.) Ltd. (“MCPPL”), a manufacturer of metal tins and containers, has been charged on two counts under section 12(1) of the Workplace Safety and Health Act (“the Act”).
   
   
2. Its former Factory Manager, Hew Poh Leong (“Hew”), was earlier charged on 25 June 2020 on two counts under section 15(1)(b) of the Act for both fatal incidents. Reasons include failure to ensure the implementation of MCPPL’s safe work procedures in relation to the incident on 16 June, and failure to escalate a traffic management plan to MCPPL for implementation on 26 December 2016. Hew has pleaded guilty this afternoon.  
   
   Fatal Accident on 16 June 2016 Involving a Can Palletiser Machine 
   
   
3. On 16 June 2016 at 0725 hrs, Ms Wang Meifang, a 33-year-old Chinese National was cleaning an empty can palletiser machine when she was caught in between parts of the machine. She was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong hospital and subsequently succumbed to her injuries on the same day.
   
   
4.  MCPPL is charged for failing to: 
   (I) conduct and implement adequate risk assessment for work involving cleaning of a palletiser;
   (II) implement safe work procedures, including an effective lock-out tag-out procedure¹; 
   (III) providing adequate supervision; and
   (IV) installing guards to moving parts of the Palletiser, and had therefore breached its duty to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees.  
   
   Fatal Accident on 26 Dec 2016 Involving a Forklift Accident  
   
   
5.  A second fatal incident happened on 26 Dec 2016 at around 1130hrs, when a 53-year-old Singaporean female employee was hit by a reversing forklift while walking across the production area. The Deceased, Ms See Ley Heo, was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where she subsequently succumbed to her injuries on 28 Dec 2016.
   
   
6. MCPPL is charged for failing to: 
   (I) conduct an adequate risk assessment and safe work procedures for forklift-related activities; 
   (II) and adequately implement a traffic management plan within the factory, and had therefore breached its duty to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees.  
   
   Compensation for Deceased Workers 
   
   
7. In accordance with the Work Injury Compensation Act, the families of both deceased workers have each received compensation of around $200,000 from the work injury insurer.             
   
   Unsafe Work Practices Endanger Safety of Workers          
   
   
8. Mr Sebastian Tan (陈仕豪), MOM’s Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate Department, said: “Control measures such as lock-out tag-out for maintenance of equipment and traffic management plan for forklift operations are basic safety measures that every employer should be aware of. The company failed to put these in place and two lives were lost.”