Date: February 24, 2021
Location: Tuas, West Region (Singapore)
Address: 32E Tuas Avenue 11, 636854
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Potato Starch
Industry: Fire Protection Systems
Equipment: Mixer
Company: Stars Engrg
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: Three Dead, Seven Injured
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its website, Stars Engrg is a registered L3 contractor with BCA Singapore in Fire Protection Works and L1 contractor with BCA Singapore for Electrical Works. It was founded in 2010 and offers services that include supplying, designing, installing and maintaining all types of fire protection and electrical systems.
Incident Description:
On February 25, 2021, CNA reported a dust explosion and fire at an industrial building in Tuas, Singapore.
A logistics manager in the next building said he heard a “very loud explosion” on February 24, followed by two smaller ones. He ran out of his office and saw black smoke billowing from a gaping hole in the wall of the building next door. Several workers were running out screaming.
Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters arrived at 11:25 a.m. and found the building smoke-logged. After entering the building to locate the fire, they extinguished it with two water jets.
Employees were working on an industrial mixer when the explosion occurred. A representative of the Manpower Ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Division confirmed that the explosion involved potato starch powder.
According to The Star, the fire forced the evacuation of 65 people. These workers – some of whom lived in the dormitories at the site – were later rehoused.
Ten workers suffered burns. Three died while another five remained in critical condition. Two were discharged after being treated. Videos showed several workers with their clothing burned off and visible burn injuries.
The National Trades Union Congress and the Migrant Workers’ Centre contacted affected migrant workers and their companies to render whatever assistance necessary. A fundraising campaign launched by migrant worker advocacy group ItsRainingRaincoats raised more than S$600,000 for the three men killed in the incident, exceeding its goal of S$300,000.
The Ministry of Manpower appointed an inquiry committee to examine the factors that led to the fire and explosion. This committee was also tasked with making recommendations including policy, regulatory or Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. It later determined that a mixer machine used to produce a clay-like material for a fire protection product was linked to the incident. Following the explosion, the machine was found to have ruptured at the bottom.
On March 3, the Minister of State for Manpower announced that the government had begun inspections of almost 500 companies for potential combustible dust hazards in the wake of the Tuas explosion.
These investigations coincided with a safety time-out called by the Workplace Safety and Health Council: this measure was intended to give employers an opportunity to assess their business processes and ensure that their machinery was well-maintained and correctly used. The WSH commissioner said the call for safety time-out is an important step to remind employers and workers “not to take safety lightly.”
On March 19, three companies were issued stop-work orders after they were found to have inadequate control measures, despite “significant risk” of combustible dust explosions.
The following month, the Ministry of Manpower announced that between May and June, it would carry out 400 worksite safety inspections targeting high-risk sectors including construction and manufacturing. This was due to the fact that over 3,200 workplace safety and health contraventions were found during inspections between January and April, almost double the 1,800 contraventions recorded the same period last year.
On May 19, Enterprise Singapore officially launched SS 667:2020 – Code of Practice for Handling, Storage and Processing of Combustible Dust. Over a week later, the National University of Singapore Alumni Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Society hosted a virtual workshop that shared the critical aspects of combustible dust, including the nature of combustible dust, process safety concerns, risk management approaches, and relevant local and international standards.
On October 13, the Straits-Times announced that the inquiry committee looking into the explosion was inviting members of the public to submit written recommendations for preventing the recurrence of such a workplace accident. Recommendations were specifically requested for measures to ensure the safe commissioning, operation, maintenance and repair of similar industrial machines and ensure the safe supply, storage and handling of combustible dust or powders at similar workplace settings.
Research Team Update:
After the incident, the Ministry of Manpower appointed an inquiry committee to examine the factors that led to the fire and explosion. This committee was also tasked with making recommendations including policy, regulatory or Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act measures to prevent the recurrence of similar Incidents. The report from the committee, Report of the Inquiry Committee for the Accident at Stars Engrg Pte Ltd on 24, Feb 2021 (Part I – Main Report)” was made available almost one year after the explosion incident.
Through investigating loss history at the facility, physical evidence and witness statements, the committee concluded that an initial rupture of the oil jacket around the mixer in question released an oil mist which ignited causing a primary catastrophic explosion at the site. Secondary flash fires also occurred which were likely due to combustion of potato starch powders which were allowed to accumulate at the worksite.
The IC concluded that the initial oil mist explosion caused the most significant damage and injuries during the incident, but also recommended that regulators, occupiers, employers, workers and property owners involved in facilities that use combustible powders are made fully aware of and can properly manage fire, flash-fire and explosion hazards associated with these materials. The IC also concluded that criminal offenses had likely occurred with respect to the company and its owners during the leadup to the fatal incident.
Reference: Report of the Inquiry Committee for the Accident at Stars Engrg Pte Ltd on 24, Feb 2021
Sources:
CNA
The Star
Straits-Times
