Supervisor, worker die after collapsing in vessel's ballast tank

SINGAPORE — A supervisor and another worker died last week after they entered a ship's ballast tank and collapsed in the confined space.

The incident took place last Wednesday and was reported in an alert by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council on Monday (May 24).

The notice from the WSH Council said that a supervisor entered a dredging vessel’s ballast tank, which is a confined space, for an inspection last Wednesday without any appropriate personal protective equipment.

A ballast tank is a compartment within a vessel that holds water and is used to provide stability for the boat or ship.

CNA has contacted the Ministry of Manpower for more details.

The supervisor did not check if the confined space was safe, said the WSH Council. Shortly after entering, he collapsed and passed out, it added.

Another worker entered the tank to try to save the supervisor, but also passed out. A third worker attempted a rescue as well, and he too collapsed inside the tank, the alert said.

The rest of the crew subsequently introduced forced ventilation into the tank. The second worker eventually regained consciousness and managed to climb out of the tank.

"The supervisor and the third worker were later extricated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) but unfortunately did not survive," said the alert.

"This tragic accident highlights the invisible dangers of confined spaces."

SCDF said that it received a call for help from a vessel in Singapore's eastern waters at around 11.35am last Wednesday.

"SCDF's marine specialists including the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team conducted an intricate depth rescue operation on board the vessel to rescue three people from a confined space," said a spokesperson.

Paramedics pronounced two people dead at the scene and took one person to Changi General Hospital.

The WSH Council reminded workers not to open up any manhole of confined spaces without proper authorisation, and not to enter any confined space if they have not been trained for it.

Workers should also not attempt any rescue on their own without any proper personal protective equipment as doing so may endanger them, said the WSH Council. CNA

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