Two men who entered manhole on board ship died due to oxygen deficiency, coroner's inquiry told

SINGAPORE - Two Bangladeshi workers who entered a manhole on board a dredging vessel last year died due to oxygen deficiency, an investigation officer (IO) from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in court on Thursday (March 24).

IO Tan Soon Heng was testifying on the first day of a coroner's inquiry into the circumstances that led to the deaths of Mr Forhad, who went by only one name, and Mr Kolil Ibrahim, who died on May 19 last year.

MOM told The Straits Times last year that the incident occurred in the eastern waters of Singapore. The two men - aged 31 and 37 - were employed by KSE Marine Works.

The deck-level manhole led to the vessel's ballast tank.

The court heard that Mr Forhad, a supervisor, had gone into the manhole to check on a hydraulic pipe that was suspected to have a leakage on May 19 last year.

Investigations revealed that Mr Forhad had been asked to check on the pipes by a project manager but was not given specific instructions to enter the manhole, police IO Muhammad Ruzaini Osman, who was on duty on the day of the incident, told the court.

IO Ruzaini added the project manager did not expect Mr Forhad to enter the manhole but to only conduct a visual inspection from outside the manhole.

However, Mr Forhad entered the manhole.

Another worker on board the ship who had just finished a welding job saw the manhole open. He entered it and found Forhad unconscious on the floor.

The second worker, then aged 39, also then passed out.

Mr Kolil then went into the manhole, found the second man unconscious and asked the other crew members to bring a ventilation fan. He too then lost consciousness.

The second man managed to regain consciousness and climb out after the crew forced ventilation into the tank.

The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who had been called, arrived on board the vessel and extricated Mr Forhad and Mr Kolil, but pronounced them dead.

The SCDF officers tested the oxygen level in the tank and detected it to be at 18.5 per cent.

IO Ruzaini said human beings require an oxygen level of 19.5 per cent to operate normally.

"Anything below that is quite dangerous," he added.

IO Ruzaini said the crew members had been briefed before not to enter confined spaces.

He added: "They are not trained to enter and had no breathing apparatus."

When asked by State Coroner Adam Nakhoda if it was possible to see any leakage from the main deck, IO Tan said it was not possible as the hydraulic pipe was 3.5m away from the manhole.

While the men could have checked if there was a leakage via an accessible gauge, this would not have allowed them to know where the leak was.

IO Tan added that investigations showed the two men did not report any discomfort before the incident and they were unlikely to be fatigued.

He said that their deaths were due to oxygen deficiency.

When asked if the MOM has decided if it will be taking action against any parties involved, IO Tan said the ministry is contemplating to do so.

The case will next be heard on April 12.