The 23-year-old Indian national was placing the plate onto the truck after collecting it, and was eventually caught between the machinery and the truck.
Mr Eazhumalai shouted, and his colleague turned around and saw that he was stuck.
The colleague immediately opened the outrigger to release Mr Eazhumalai, who walked and collapsed forward, sustaining abrasions to his forehead and nasal bridge, Judge Chua found.
The colleague who was operating the truck and another worker who was nearby rendered assistance to him. While he was conscious, responsive and did not seem to have any severe visible injuries, he had difficulty breathing.
He was sent to Farrer Park Hospital with a severe chest crush injury, with bleeding in both lungs. He died in the hospital about 18 hours later.
The company’s operations manager said during the inquiry that Mr Eazhumalai was supposed to collect the plates only after all the outriggers were retracted.
According to the company’s safe work processes, the operator of the truck must also be responsible for safety in the working area when the machine is in use.
For example, the operator must look at the outrigger while closing it to ensure no one is standing between the machinery and the truck.
Mr Vellaisamy had not looked at the machinery or noticed Mr Eazhumalai, though the latter was within his visual field and wearing a bright yellow reflective vest, the court heard.
At the time of the inquiry, the Ministry of Manpower was considering taking enforcement actions against the parties involved. Court documents did not state which parties these were.
Mr Eazhumalai’s family members had initial concerns about why he was not sent to a hospital nearer to the worksite. In response, Judge Chua noted that he was brought to the hospital in a conscious and responsive state.
The 23-year-old survived for several hours, going through imaging and other procedures before he passed away, she added.
“As such, it did not appear that the time difference taken to travel to a further hospital within Singapore … would have significantly contributed to his death.”
