24 October, Sungai Siput – A fatal accident reported at a brick factory around 3.30 pm. It involved a local worker aged 47 years old. Following that, Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Perak deployed an investigation team to investigate the case.
Further investigation found that the victim was a general worker in production department. He was moving wet bricks to dry bricks section using kiln truck. He was working alone and was attaching three feet hook in between first (T73) and second (V8) kiln truck.
What happened during the incident?
During the incident, there are eight kiln trucks with each weighed approximately 23 tonnes. In the incident, he was trapped in between T73 and V8 truck. The accident happened as V8 kiln truck moved automatically using hydraulic system.
His colleagues found him in a kneeling position while trapped in between the trucks. He sustained a serious injury. Later on, he was announced dead at the scene by the medical officer from Hospital Sungai Siput.
Actions to be Taken
From the initial investigation, the department issued a notice of Stop Work Order. Until investigation complete and improvement actions are taken by the employer, work on arrangement of wet bricks onto kiln truck are stopped.
Additionally, the department will take legal action to the responsible party for any violation under Occupational Safety and Health 1994 (OSHA1994). DOSH is seriously concern on any accident involving employees and public.
As employers have the full authority of the workplace, they are responsible to identify hazards, assess risks and implement effective control measures at the workplace. Hence, it will reduce employee’s safety risks and prevent accidents.
To conclude, the accident can be prevented if employer conduct comprehensive risk assessment and control according to the Guidelines on Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC).
HSE Insights, Issue 2, November 2020
