Announcement and status
NEA and two employees faced Workplace Safety and Health Act charges over the 23 September 2021 Tuas Incineration Plant incident. Three workers troubleshooting a fan fault were in an electrical switch room when an explosion occurred; two died and one sustained burns.
Case details and examples
NEA allegedly failed to provide a compliant permit-to-work system, controls and procedures for high-voltage switchgear racking. General manager Ng Wah Yong allegedly failed to ensure those safeguards; divisional director Christopher Lee allegedly approved a noncompliant system. Individual charges and allegations are in the table.
Official advisory and follow-up
The release defines a permit-to-work as formal authorisation for controlled safe work. It cites employer fines up to S$500,000 and negligent-act penalties up to S$30,000 or two years or both. These are possible penalties at the December 2023 charging stage, not sentences.
NEA and employees: allegations
| Party | Provision | Alleged failure |
|---|---|---|
| NEA, employer | WSHA 12(1), 20 | Compliant permit-to-work, adequate controls and safe switchgear-racking procedures |
| Ng Wah Yong, plant general manager | WSHA 15(3A) | Negligently failing to ensure compliant permit system, controls and procedures |
| Lee Yew Binn, Christopher, divisional director | WSHA 15(3A) | Negligently approving a noncompliant permit system |
Official source
This report is independently written from the MOM release dated above. Case status, policy announcements and historical figures refer to that release.
Read the complete MOM release ↗