SINGAPORE: One sub-contractor worker died while two others are being treated at the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital's intensive care unit after they were found unconscious while carrying out routine tank cleaning at the Choa Chu Kang Waterworks (CCKWW) plant here.
Singapore's National Water Agency (PUB) spokesperson said the incident occurred at 11.15 am on Tuesday and preliminary investigations reveal that the foreign workers had inhaled hydrogen sulphide, a gas produced from sludge, a by-product of the water treatment process.
"We are in touch with our contractors and will render support to the workers' family members," the spokesperson said in a statement.
The PUB said as a precaution, the agency has called for a safety timeout for similar operations in confined spaces and is reviewing the safety measures.
"Safety at all our workplaces is of utmost importance to PUB. We will cooperate fully in the investigation," it said.
The CCKWW, located in the western part of Singapore, is the second largest waterworks in the country and has a treatment capacity of 80 million gallons per day. – BERNAMA