Investigation in progress after quayside gives way at Keppel Shipyard
One worker is still missing after falling into the sea and another remains injured in a stable condition after an incident on Monday morning at Keppel Shipyard’s Tuas yard in Singapore.
At about 10.40am local time, part of the concrete pier on which a crane was standing collapsed, causing the crane to topple onto a production, storage and offloading vessel at the yard.
A 38-year-old Bangladeshi worker, who was on the pier, fell into the water and is missing, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson told reporters. The missing worker is employed by Singapore’s Kumarann Marine.
It is understood that at least two other foreign workers and one Singaporean sustained minor injuries.
“We can confirm that an incident occurred yesterday at Keppel Shipyard in Tuas where a section of the quayside gave way causing two workers to fall into the sea and a crane to tilt to the side. We have rescued one of the workers who is in stable condition, while the other worker is currently missing,” a Keppel Shipyard spokesperson told Upstream.
“We are working with the SCDF [Singapore Civil Defence Force] and Police Coast Guard on the search operations.”
Pictures of the incident circulating on social media and contractor forums show the vessel involved to be the Prosperity FPSO that Keppel is constructing for client SBM Offshore.
The floater’s hull arrived safely last August at the Singapore yard and Keppel in April installed the first topsides module on the Prosperity, which is to be deployed on ExxonMobil’s Payara field offshore Guyana.
“SBM Offshore confirms that an incident has occurred at the Keppel Shipyard, Singapore, impacting an FPSO which is currently under construction,” the Netherlands contractor told Upstream via email.
“During construction activities, a section of the yard’s quayside alongside the FPSO collapsed, causing an impact between the crane and the vessel. Four persons were injured in the incident and are in a stable condition. A fifth person fell into the water and remains missing with search and rescue efforts ongoing.”
SBM added that its “first priority is to deal with the safety of all personnel”.
The MOM, which probes workplace safety breaches and workplace deaths in Singapore, is investigating the cause of the accident and has halted all work being performed at the pier.
Initial investigations show the concrete pier on which the crane was standing had collapsed, causing it to topple and become partially submerged.
“Keppel Shipyard values the life and safety of every worker and is working closely with the authorities to conduct thorough investigations. As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further details at this juncture,” the company spokesperson added.
Earlier this year, two Bangladeshi workers died at Keppel Shipyard after being thrown from a vessel on which they were working after a scaffold structure slipped.
Singapore daily The Straits Times reported that as of 3 August there had been 32 workplace deaths so far this year while there were 30 work-related deaths recorded in 2020 and 37 deaths recorded last year.
Updated to include comment from SBM Offshore.
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