Eldercare services provider fined $7k after client in wheelchair rolled off van platform and died

SINGAPORE – Two employees of an eldercare services provider were helping clients board its van when one of the senior citizens fell off the vehicle’s wheelchair lift platform and his head struck the ground.

Mr Hassan Mohamed Karchi Arsan Osman, 76, was unconscious when he was taken to the National University Hospital on Feb 3, 2021, and died of a head injury at 9.35pm that day.

On June 3, Active Global Respite Care was fined $7,000 after it was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations.

Court documents stated that it failed to implement safety control measures and safe work procedures governing the use of the wheelchair lift at the rear of the van.

Two people, who were working for the company when the incident took place,

were each fined $10,000 in December 2023

.

Myanmar national Moe Thadar, then 49, was a healthcare assistant at the time, while Singaporean Kwa Kim Seng, then 67, was employed as a van driver.

They failed to ensure that the brakes of Mr Hassan’s wheelchair were engaged, causing his death.

For the current case, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Kimberly Boo told the court that Active Global Respite Care owned two vans used for transporting elderly clients between their homes and a senior care centre at Block 31A Ghim Moh Link.

A healthcare assistant would be present in each van to assist with the transportation.

Each van was installed with a wheelchair lift, allowing wheelchair users to get into the vehicle through a platform that could be raised.

At around 4.40pm on Feb 3, 2021, Moe Thadar and Kwa were helping the clients to board one of the vans at the senior care centre’s pickup point.

Ms Boo said: “When Moe wheeled (Mr Hassan) from the pickup point onto the wheelchair lift platform, she failed to engage the brakes of (his) wheelchair.

“As Moe was walking away, she told Kwa, ‘uncle, hold’, in order to inform him that (Mr Hassan) was ready to be lifted. Kwa proceeded to raise the wheelchair lift platform while chatting with a colleague.”

As the platform was reaching the top of the lift, in line with the van, Kwa did not wait for a healthcare assistant inside the van to grab hold of the wheelchair.

Kwa released his grip on Mr Hassan’s wheelchair, which rolled backwards and off the platform. Mr Hassan’s head struck the ground when he fell. He was pronounced dead later that day.

Ms Boo told the court that prior to the incident, Active Global Respite Care had no documented risk assessment on the transportation of its clients using a van with a wheelchair lift.

She added that on the day of the incident, multiple control measures to minimise safety risks to Mr Hassan were not implemented.

These included ensuring that wheelchair brakes were engaged before activating the wheelchair lift.

Defence lawyers Gloria James-Civetta and Noelle Teoh, who represented Active Global Respite Care, on June 3 pleaded for their client to be given a fine of not more than $5,000.

The pair from Gloria James-Civetta & Co added: “The incident was an isolated and unprecedented occurrence that tragically resulted in the passing of the late Mr Hassan.

“Prior to the incident on Feb 3, 2021, Active Global had operated in Singapore for several years without any record of similar serious incidents or accidents. It is also noted that the late Mr Hassan had successfully completed nearly 500 rides with Active Global over the course of his engagement, without issue.”

The lawyers stated in court documents that since the incident, their client has taken immediate and proactive measures to address any gaps in its safety protocols.

This includes updating its standard operating procedure in June 2021 to further enhance clients’ safety during transportation.

It also deployed additional manpower to act as traffic marshals at the drop-off and pickup points of its centres, the court heard.