Image credits - The Business Times
YHI Corporation and its Chief Operating Officer, Ong Chin Kiong, have been fined in connection with a tragic workplace accident that resulted in the death of a seasoned employee. The incident occurred three years ago at YHI Corporation’s warehouse, where warehouse operations executive Mr. Tay Hock Soon, who had been with the company since 1982, fell to his death.
On August 22, YHI Corporation was fined $200,000, while COO Ong was fined $150,000. Both parties pleaded guilty to violations under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA). The court did not disclose Mr. Tay’s age, but he was known to have had nearly 40 years of service with the firm.
The fatal accident happened on July 3, 2021, at the company’s warehouse located at 2 Pandan Road. The two-storey facility, used for storing automotive tyres and rims among other products, featured 32 rows of storage racks with eight tiers each. On the day of the accident, Mr. Tay and machine operator Goh Boon Yoke were using a very narrow aisle (VNA) machine to install horizontal metal beams at a high storage rack.
During the operation, the third metal beam hit a wooden pallet stacked with tyres on the tier above, causing the pallet to dislodge. Mr. Tay, who was standing on a wooden pallet attached to the machine’s fork, fell approximately 10 meters along with the tyres. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Mr. Tay succumbed to his injuries the same day.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) highlighted several safety lapses in the case. Neither Mr. Tay nor Goh wore fall prevention harnesses or safety belts, and the storage racks were not designed to hold the wooden pallets used. The company failed to consult a storage rack expert to ensure the stability of the added pallets and did not conduct a risk assessment or establish safe work procedures for using VNA machines. Ong, as COO, was found negligent in overseeing the company’s safety protocols and ensuring that adequate safety systems were in place.
Defense counsels Alfred Lim, Jaime Lye, and Sean Choong of Meritus Law noted that this was the first time YHI Corporation faced WSHA charges in its 73 years of operation. They argued that the company had regularly arranged independent safety audits and claimed that neither Mr. Tay nor Goh had sought prior approval for the beam installation. They also mentioned that Goh was trained to operate the VNA machine and was aware of safety warnings against standing on the machine’s fork.
Goh, 60, faces a separate WSHA charge for endangering his own safety and that of others. He plans to plead guilty in September. The company and Ong have cooperated with MOM to enhance workplace safety and health standards following the accident.