Joo Koon accident: Employee's amputation due to maintenance train running over right foot, says SMRT
The SMRT staff member whose lower right leg was amputated following an accident near Joo Koon MRT station was injured when a maintenance train rolled over his foot, said the rail operator on Friday (21 December).
In a statement, SMRT added that the staff member is currently in a stable condition and that it is assisting the Ministry of Manpower’s Occupational Safety and Health Division in investigations.
The accident took place on the eastbound track near Joo Koon last Wednesday morning before service hours, at about 4.10am. It delayed the start of train service between Gul Circle and Boon Lay stations on the East-West Line in both directions.
At the time, a six-member team was preparing the maintenance train to return to the depot after completing track tamping work, which ensured that the train tracks had a firm foundation to rest on.
According to an SMRT spokesperson, the team was conducting a brake test on the maintenance train, which involves limited movement of the maintenance train. Meanwhile, one of the staff was on the track to check for oil leaks from the maintenance train, as an oil spill on the track affects the safety of train operations in the day.
The brake test was stopped immediately when one of the team members spotted the injured staff member lying on the track, and the rest of the team went forward to provide first aid to him.
The injured man was then sent to hospital, where the lower part of his right leg was amputated.
It was the most serious accident involving SMRT staff members since March 2016, when two SMRT trainees were killed by an oncoming train near Pasir Ris station.
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