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Shaun Tung Mun Hon died of a head injury after he fell into a 4m-deep pit at the 1-Altitude rooftop bar in 2019, which was then located at One Raffles Place.
PHOTO: Rebecca Tung
PUBLISHED ON July 16, 2025 10:39 AM BY Shaffiq Alkhatib
SINGAPORE — To use a gondola for facade cleaning at One Raffles Place, a man and his co-workers removed two floor slabs that covered a 4m-deep pit where the gondola was stored on the rooftop of the 63-storey building.
Freelance facade cleaning worker Suresh Kumar Shanmugam, who was the one giving work-related instructions at the time, failed to put back the slabs.
Tragedy struck on June 9, 2019, when part-time security officer Shaun Tung Mun Hon, 26, fell into the pit near the 1-Altitude rooftop bar. Tung suffered a head injury and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
On July 15, Suresh, 63, who is now unemployed, was sentenced to two months' jail after he pleaded guilty to performing a negligent act, which endangered the safety of others and contributed to Tung's death.
Ministry of Manpower prosecutors Melvyn Low and Nur Ishameena stated in court documents that at the time of the offence, restaurant and bar operator Synergyinthesky ran the 1-Altitude rooftop bar.
Property developer OUB Centre (OUBC), which was a co-owner of One Raffles Place, had engaged a firm called A&P Maintenance Services to clean the property's common areas.
A&P Maintenance then contracted Clearvisions Cleaning Solutions for facade cleaning works.
Clearvisions Cleaning Solutions, in turn, contracted 5 Stars Integrated Facilities, which engaged freelance cleaners including Suresh.
OUBC, Synergyinthesky and A&P Maintenance were dealt with in court in 2023.
The prosecutors said that the cleaning of the building's exterior started on May 6, 2019, and was expected to be completed by June 22 that year.
The workers had removed floor slabs over the pit so that the gondola could be moved along tracks to where the cleaning works were to be done. The tracks ran along the perimeter of the rooftop.
After doing cleaning works for the day, Suresh and the other workers did not put back the floor slabs to cover the opening, as they wanted to access the main gondola switch located within the pit.
The prosecutors said: "Although investigations revealed that the workers could have accessed the gondola pit and the main switch through an adjacent room, the workers were not aware of this access, as OUBC did not inform them about it.
"This particular floor opening was not closed even after facade cleaning work stopped at the end of each workday, as (Suresh) was of the view that it was inconvenient to reinstate the said floor slabs."
Court documents stated that Suresh was aware that the uncovered floor opening posed a fall-from-height hazard, and that it was possible to put barricades around the gap. However, he felt that it was unnecessary to do so since only he and his team members were supposed to work in the area.
The prosecutors said this was not in compliance with the code of practice for working safely at heights, which states that for openings that a person may fall through, barriers should be erected around them.
The openings should also be guarded with wire mesh and covered with material strong enough to prevent people from entering.
During a coroner's inquiry in 2020, the court heard that Tung was shown the pit and briefed about it before he started his shift at the alfresco bar on the day of the fall. Barricades and warning signs had been erected on the second floor of the nightspot, where the pit opening was located, to prevent guests from entering the area.
Then State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam, however, noted that the barricades could be pushed aside and the area around the pit was not illuminated.
At around 1.30am on June 9, 2019, Tung spotted two unidentified people entering the cordoned-off area. He ran towards them while shining his torch to warn them, but failed to notice the uncovered pit and fell into it.
On July 15, defence lawyer Christopher Bridges asked the court to sentence Suresh to two months' jail.
The lawyer said: "The accused is fully aware that he should have placed barricades around the opening and accepts full responsibility."
singapore
Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar
Shaun Tung Mun Hon died of a head injury after he fell into a 4m-deep pit at the 1-Altitude rooftop bar in 2019, which was then located at One Raffles Place.
PHOTO: Rebecca Tung
PUBLISHED ON July 16, 2025 10:39 AM BY Shaffiq Alkhatib
SINGAPORE — To use a gondola for facade cleaning at One Raffles Place, a man and his co-workers removed two floor slabs that covered a 4m-deep pit where the gondola was stored on the rooftop of the 63-storey building.
Freelance facade cleaning worker Suresh Kumar Shanmugam, who was the one giving work-related instructions at the time, failed to put back the slabs.
Tragedy struck on June 9, 2019, when part-time security officer Shaun Tung Mun Hon, 26, fell into the pit near the 1-Altitude rooftop bar. Tung suffered a head injury and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
On July 15, Suresh, 63, who is now unemployed, was sentenced to two months' jail after he pleaded guilty to performing a negligent act, which endangered the safety of others and contributed to Tung's death.
Ministry of Manpower prosecutors Melvyn Low and Nur Ishameena stated in court documents that at the time of the offence, restaurant and bar operator Synergyinthesky ran the 1-Altitude rooftop bar.
Property developer OUB Centre (OUBC), which was a co-owner of One Raffles Place, had engaged a firm called A&P Maintenance Services to clean the property's common areas.
A&P Maintenance then contracted Clearvisions Cleaning Solutions for facade cleaning works.
Clearvisions Cleaning Solutions, in turn, contracted 5 Stars Integrated Facilities, which engaged freelance cleaners including Suresh.
OUBC, Synergyinthesky and A&P Maintenance were dealt with in court in 2023.
The prosecutors said that the cleaning of the building's exterior started on May 6, 2019, and was expected to be completed by June 22 that year.
The workers had removed floor slabs over the pit so that the gondola could be moved along tracks to where the cleaning works were to be done. The tracks ran along the perimeter of the rooftop.
After doing cleaning works for the day, Suresh and the other workers did not put back the floor slabs to cover the opening, as they wanted to access the main gondola switch located within the pit.
The prosecutors said: "Although investigations revealed that the workers could have accessed the gondola pit and the main switch through an adjacent room, the workers were not aware of this access, as OUBC did not inform them about it.
"This particular floor opening was not closed even after facade cleaning work stopped at the end of each workday, as (Suresh) was of the view that it was inconvenient to reinstate the said floor slabs."
Court documents stated that Suresh was aware that the uncovered floor opening posed a fall-from-height hazard, and that it was possible to put barricades around the gap. However, he felt that it was unnecessary to do so since only he and his team members were supposed to work in the area.
The prosecutors said this was not in compliance with the code of practice for working safely at heights, which states that for openings that a person may fall through, barriers should be erected around them.
The openings should also be guarded with wire mesh and covered with material strong enough to prevent people from entering.
During a coroner's inquiry in 2020, the court heard that Tung was shown the pit and briefed about it before he started his shift at the alfresco bar on the day of the fall. Barricades and warning signs had been erected on the second floor of the nightspot, where the pit opening was located, to prevent guests from entering the area.
Then State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam, however, noted that the barricades could be pushed aside and the area around the pit was not illuminated.
At around 1.30am on June 9, 2019, Tung spotted two unidentified people entering the cordoned-off area. He ran towards them while shining his torch to warn them, but failed to notice the uncovered pit and fell into it.
On July 15, defence lawyer Christopher Bridges asked the court to sentence Suresh to two months' jail.
The lawyer said: "The accused is fully aware that he should have placed barricades around the opening and accepts full responsibility."
