Record fine for shipyard

[Sun Wukong]

Singapore
Apr 13, 2010

Record fine for shipyard

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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The vessel Rainbow Star where workers were spray-painting the interior of four water ballast tanks when a flash fire broke out. Three workers died while six others suffered burns. They were aged between 21 and 42. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

<!-- story content : start --> THE shipyard accidents two years ago took the lives of three workers and injured 10 others. On Tuesday, Kreuz Shipbuilding & Engineering was fined $200,000 - the biggest fine ever imposed on a marine firm. Its project manager Wong Chun Hoong, 37, was fined $15,000 for safety violations in the April accident. Investigations revealed that the workers were asked to use pressurised oxygen to test the pressure the new hydraulic pipes on a barge could take. The correct testing equipment was lacking, causing a fire and several explosions which injured four workers.

The second accident occurred two months later and claimed three lives on the vessel Rainbow Star. Workers were spray-painting the interior of four water ballast tanks when a flash fire broke out. Three workers died while six others suffered burns. They were aged between 21 and 42. Kreuz admitted to failing to ventilate the tanks adequately and allowing the build up of flammable gases. Ship repair manager Lim Tan Kheng Yong, 55 was fined $70,00 for not taking adequate safety measures.

 

[SwineHunter]

Marine firm, 2 workers fined S$285,000 for failing to ensure safety
By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 13 April 2010 2327 hrs
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SINGAPORE: A marine firm and two of its employees have been fined a total of S$285,000 by the Subordinate Courts for failing to ensure the safety of their workers.

Kreuz Shipbuilding & Engineering was fined S$200,000, the biggest fine ever imposed on a marine firm. Three workers were killed and at least 10 others were injured in two separate incidents at the shipyard in 2008.

One involved a fire that broke out on April 2 on board a vessel, the OBT Alpha, which was undergoing works at the company's premises. Kreuz was engaged to install hydraulic pipes on it.

Investigations revealed that project manager Richard Wong allowed compressed oxygen to be used to test the pipes. Their rusty and rough interior generated heat when the pressurised oxygen passed through them. This heat, combined with the oxygen, chemically reacted with the rust and lubricating oil found in the vicinity, leading to the explosion. Four people were injured in this incident.

Kreuz was fined S$80,000 and its project manager was fined $70,000. Another accident took place at the company's premises about two months later. It left three people dead and six others injured. This time, a flash fire broke out on a vessel, the Rainbow Star, while workers were spray-painting the interior of four water tanks.

Raymond Lim was Kreuz's ship repair manager. He approved the permit-to-work without ensuring that all safety measures were in place. For this incident, the shipyard was fined S$120,000, while the ship repair manager was fined S$15,000. Earlier this month, another shipyard, Prime Marine, was fined S$150,000 for failing to ensure the safety of its workers.

- CNA/yb