89 injured at Jurong Shipyard

Noble Regina Allen Illustration

89 workers hurt after newbuild jack-up lists

89 workers were hospitalized following an accident at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore on 3 December 2012.

The workers were onboard the Noble Regina Allen jack-up rig, which was under construction at the yard, when the rig listed to one side on Monday morning. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower said preliminary findings suggest that a jacking mechanism failed, causing the main hull to list to one side.

As of 9 p.m. local time, the Ministry announced that one worker is in critical condition and 22 others were seriously injured. Of the 89 taken to area hospitals, 77 were discharged. 12 workers remain in the hospital and six are under observation.

Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Manpower, called the accident ‘one of the worst industrial accidents’ in recent times.

The priority now is to look after the injured and ensure that they receive the best care possible,’ Diapi said. ‘It is also important to stabilize the situation at the work site and investigate the accident thoroughly to find out what went wrong.’

All work activity on the rig has been ordered to stop. Semcorp Marine, the owner of the Jurong Shipyard, said that it is investigating the cause of the accident and is unable to provide further details.

The Noble Regina Allen is a Friede & Goldman JU3000N design jack-up rig owned by Noble Corp.