The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is appealing the sentence against PSA Singapore following a fatal workplace incident in 2017 at Keppel Terminal. PSA was initially fined $225,000 after being convicted on March 16 under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for failing to ensure employee safety during crane maintenance [1, 2].
The incident occurred on September 20, 2017, when PSA technical specialist Lee Swee Loong, aged 29, was crushed between rotating crane machinery parts and was pronounced dead at the scene [1, 2]. Court documents revealed PSA failed to implement adequate control measures and safe work procedures that would have prevented exposure to the hazard posed by the crane's moving parts during maintenance [1, 2].
MOM filed its appeal on June 15 seeking a higher fine, requesting a penalty between $300,000 and $350,000. MOM prosecutor Delvinder Singh said that the risk of harm was reasonably foreseeable, noting that PSA knew workers accessed a narrow, oil-stained platform for gearbox inspection but did not provide specific safety protections. Singh called the death "tragic and entirely preventable," attributing it to PSA's systematic failure to fulfill its fundamental duty to ensure employee safety [1, 2].
PSA has also filed an appeal against both its conviction and sentence, contesting the charges and the $225,000 fine [1, 2].
The legal dispute over the appropriate penalty continues as MOM seeks a stronger deterrent against lapses in workplace safety, while PSA challenges the ruling. The next step will be the hearing of these appeals, which will determine whether PSA faces an increased fine or other consequences.
