Mover who fell to death at Robertson Quay condo was 23-year-old Singaporean; firm ordered to stop work: MOM

SINGAPORE — A worker who fell seven storeys to his death earlier this month while moving items from a condominium in Robertson Quay was a 23-year-old Singaporean, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday (April 13).

The ministry told TODAY that the unnamed man was an employee of the moving company Apex Worldwide Movers & Services, which has since been ordered to stop work by MOM.

The incident, which was reported by the Workplace Safety and Health Council in a bulletin on Monday, happened on April 5.

That day, the deceased and his co-workers had been tasked with disposing of furniture and electrical appliances from a condominium unit located on the 10th floor of Watermark@Robertson Quay, at 5 Rodyk Street.

MOM said that the man was standing on a ladder when he fell backwards over a 1m-high parapet wall at the service yard area and landed on the third floor.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

When asked by TODAY how the accident happened, the man’s employer declined comment as the matter is still under investigation by MOM.

In the bulletin on Monday, the council urged employers and bosses involved in such work to implement applicable risk-control measures.

They should brief workers on any hazards and provide necessary tools and equipment, among other measures, the council added.

MOM said on Tuesday that to date, there have been 11 instances of fatal workplace accidents this year, which have resulted in 13 deaths.

On Feb 10 this year, a broadly similar accident occurred when a director of a construction firm died while overseeing alteration works at a semi-detached house around Dunearn Road.

TODAY previously reported that the deceased had fallen through a floor opening and landed on a staircase about 4.7m below, and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

In February, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad described as “extremely alarming” the seven workplace fatalities that had taken place so far that month.