SINGAPORE — After failing to see a fellow worker cross his path at a worksite, Periyasamy Vivek could not apply the brakes on his heavily laden forklift in time, knocking the man down and running over his legs.

The victim sustained multiple fractures and eventually had to have his legs amputated above the knees. He was later fitted with prosthetics and can walk with mobility aids.

Periyasamy, a 34-year-old India national who was employed as a supervisor by marine and offshore engineering group Sempcorp Marine, was jailed for two weeks on Tuesday (July 6).

He pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to Mr Sevugaperumal Balamurugan, a 36-year-old India national, by a negligent act on March 23 last year.

The victim worked for a subcontractor of Sembcorp Marine and operated a hydro jetting machine, while Periyasamy was a forklift operator. Both were working at a Sembcorp Marine worksite at 80 Tuas South Boulevard.

Periyasamy was tasked with shifting concrete blocks that each weighed 5,000kg.

After loading one such block and some wooden wedges onto the forklift, which obscured his frontal vision while he was in the driver’s seat, he moved in reverse while keeping a lookout.

However, he then went against safety protocol by moving forward when he realised that he would hit some paint cans if he reversed any further.

Periyasamy also knew that he had to keep a safe distance from others to ensure that the forklift could be brought to a safe stop at any time, taking into account its load, and he had to pay attention to his operating environment at all times.

Mr Sevugaperumal then walked across the open space of the dry dock on the way to the toilet. He had noticed Periyasamy moving slowly but picking up speed soon after.

Mr Sevugaperumal tried to take a step back but did not manage to avoid the forklift. The concrete block it was carrying collided into his left hip, causing him to fall.

Periyasamy applied the brakes but the forklift did not stop immediately due to its load. Its wheels ran over both of Mr Sevugaperumal’s legs before eventually coming to a stop.

The victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital before being transferred to the National University Hospital (NUH) given his severe injuries.

He underwent surgery to amputate his legs and was hospitalised at NUH for 11 days.

In mitigation, Periyasamy — who did not have a lawyer — pleaded through an interpreter for a lighter sentence, saying that he was his family’s sole breadwinner and “facing significant debts”.

“I didn’t do it on purpose; I was only going forward a short distance. As much as the fault lies with me, the victim could have also stopped and not gone ahead.

“In any case I’m praying for a lighter sentence and, if possible, a fine so I can go back home as soon as possible,” he added.

He could have been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or punished with both.