NEA strengthened safety practices after Tuas Incineration Plant fatal explosion: Grace Fu

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has strengthened its workplace safety practices and culture following an explosion at Tuas Incineration Plant in 2021 that killed two of its officers and injured one. 

These measures involve operational enhancements at waste management facilities and a reassessment of the agency's workplace safety and health practices at an organisational level, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 9).

She was delivering a ministerial statement on the incident after NEA and two senior officers were charged last month under the Workplace Safety and Health Act over the fatal explosion. 

Ms Fu noted in her speech that what she could share was "limited" so as not to prejudice ongoing judicial proceedings. She could not go into details of the incident or what contributed to it, she said. 

She also declined to elaborate on "personnel matters", saying that the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) will work with the board of NEA to study the court's decision after it is released. This includes how the two accused employees will be dealt with, which involve performance assessment, remuneration, and disciplinary action. 

WHAT HAPPENED

On Sep 23, 2021, three NEA officers - Mr Kwok Yeow Wai, Mr Wee Eng Leng and Mr Low Yin Choon - were sent to troubleshoot a fault in the incineration plant. A control room at the incineration plant was unable to remotely switch off an industrial fan.

The three men were in an electrical switch room when the explosion happened. 

Mr Kwok, a senior engineering manager and head of the electrical maintenance branch, died at the scene, while Mr Wee, an executive engineering manager was seriously injured. He died three days later. 

Mr Low, engineering manager, suffered third-degree burns but has since recovered and returned to work. 

"Following the incident, NEA provided the families of all three officers with care and support, covered all medical expenses, and provided workplace injury compensation," Ms Fu said in her speech.

"Till this day, NEA remains in contact with the families of the two late officers."

NEA has been accused of failing to take measures necessary to ensure the safety and health of its employees at work. Two senior officers, Ng Wah Yong and Christopher Lee Yew Binn, were charged with negligently endangering the safety of others at the plant without reasonable cause.

Ng was then the general manager of the plant while Lee was the director of waste infrastructure operations and management division. Both have been redeployed to non-operational roles pending the outcome of the court case.

IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH

Tuas Incineration Plant stopped receiving waste for incineration and was shut down immediately after the explosion, said Ms Fu. 

NEA was issued a Stop Work Order by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), during which NEA engineering officers completed checks on machinery and reviewed all safety procedures at the plant, she added. These were complemented by checks and tests from an external licensed electrical engineer. 

"NEA did likewise at Tuas South Incineration Plant. NEA also notified private operators of incineration plants about the incident and requested them to review their safety procedures and equipment. The private operators acknowledged the requests."

Tuas Incineration Plant resumed partial operations on Oct 13, 2021 and the Stop Work Order was eventually lifted by MOM on Nov 24, 2021. 

Operations at Tuas Incineration Plant stopped in February 2022 as part of development plans to replace it with the TuasOne Waste-To-Energy Plant. The plant was eventually decommissioned in July 2022.

There were no other serious or fatal work injuries at Tuas Incineration Plant, said Ms Fu. 

After the incident, NEA convened an internal investigation panel to ascertain the events which led to the incident, identify the possible causes and recommend additional measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, said Ms Fu. The agency also engaged an external technical expert to independently review the affected equipment and advise the panel on the likely cause of the explosion. 

MOM, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and other technical agencies also conducted independent investigations.

ENHANCED MEASURES 

Responding to Members of Parliament who asked about measures to improve workplace safety, Ms Fu said that NEA’s internal investigation panel made recommendations to strengthen the plant’s work system and processes involving high-voltage works.

All recommendations were accepted by NEA and have been implemented at Tuas South Incineration Plant, the only waste incineration plant that it currently operates.

At the facility level, NEA is reviewing the operations of waste management facilities, including Semakau Landfill.

"This is part of a broader set of operational reviews to strengthen operational excellence, safety, and resilience. This ensures that NEA responds effectively to changes in the operating environment," said Ms Fu. 

As part of the review, NEA has appointed an external advisory panel comprising senior industry leaders experienced in managing large facilities and operations. The panel will advise NEA on measures. The agency is also engaging consultants for a technical review of existing processes.

At an organisational level, NEA has taken steps to improve workplace safety and health, taking reference from guidelines and best practices issued by the Workplace Safety and Health Council.

After the charges were filed, NEA called an organisation-wide safety timeout, during which it reassessed work processes, conducted safety walkabouts and had discussions with officers on ways to improve workplace safety and health. 

Ms Fu added: "These efforts were over and above regular workplace safety and health activities and served as opportunities to re-emphasise the importance of workplace safety and health."

NEA is also seeking external validation of its workplace safety and health practices through an audit later this year. Its board was restructured last year to include a dedicated risk committee.

"The localised explosion at Tuas Incineration Plant in 2021 was a painful chapter for NEA and the MSE family. As I have set out in my statement, NEA has implemented measures to prevent similar incidents from taking place. 

"More broadly, as part of its continuous journey of improvement, NEA has strengthened workplace health and safety at its waste management facilities and across the entire organisation," Ms Fu said.