Jul 9, 2010
Raffles Marina fined $80K
<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
Raffles Marina was fined $80,000 on Friday for failing to provide a safe workplace for its employees that lead to a worker's death. -- ST PHOTO: THOMAS WHITE
A COMPANY was fined $80,000 on Friday for failing to provide a safe workplace for its employees that lead to a worker's death. A representative of Raffles Marina, which runs the club at Tuas West Drive, had earlier pleaded guilty to breaching the Workplace Safety and Health Act. A senior steward of the Marina Bistro Coffee House at the premises died after he was cut by broken wine goblets in the kitchen on May 29 last year.
The court heard that Mr Abdul Halim Allaudin, 19, was at the dish washing area of the kitchen when he slipped and fell while carrying at least one plastic rack with glass wine goblets. The wine goblets shattered and cut him in the neck area. He died about an hour later in hospital. Investigation showed that the company had failed to ensure that the floor was dry to prevent slipping and falls. There was no anti-slip floor mat.
The original non-slip tiles were damaged and replaced with lighter coloured tiles which had relatively less slip resistance. Defence lawyer Thong Chee Kun said before the unfortunate accident, his client had put in place a number of safety measures for workers in the kitchen. Among other things, the company had placed non-slip mats over all wet floor areas and replaced those areas with non-slip tiles, he said. The company could have been fined up to $500,000.
