Image courtesy anonymous gCaptain contributor
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has confirmed that all shipyard workers have been accounted for after a jack-up rig accident injured 89 at Jurong Shipyard.
A statement by Sembcorp Marine, the parent company of Jurong Shipyard indicates that one of the legs of a three-legged jack-up rig had failed during a jacking test at 1030 this morning local time, causing the rig to tilt to one side.
The Ministry of Manpower indicates the majority of the workers have been treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital, however 12 remain and six are under observation.
After a visit to Singapore General Hospital, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Manpower, Hawazi Daipi, commented to reporters:
“MOM takes a very serious view of the accident – this is one of the worst industrial accidents we have seen in recent times. The priority now is to look after the injured and ensure that they receive the best care possible. It is also important to stabilize the situation at the work site and investigate the accident thoroughly to find out what went wrong. I would just like to remind all employers that safety of workers is of paramount importance and we should learn from every accident that has happened so that we will not see a recurrence of similar accidents.”
All work has been halted at the affected rig and an accident investigation is currently in progress.