Reply by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean to Parliamentary Question on additional measures following recent incidents involving reversing Army vehicles

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am saddened by the loss of LCP Eugin Wee Yong Choon on 28 January 2011. I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family.

Associate Professor Straughan referred to two incidents. The first incident occurred on 3 July 2009 at Seletar Camp. A Motor Transport Officer was pinned under a landrover and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. A Committee of Inquiry convened to investigate the incident found that the driver of the vehicle had been negligent in his duties as a driver, and had failed to follow the correct vehicle mounting and starting procedures. The Police also conducted a separate and independent investigation. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently charged in Court for causing death by doing a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide. He pleaded guilty and was fined $5,000 and disqualified from driving all vehicles for four years.

Following this incident one and a half years ago in 2009, MINDEF and the SAF conducted a review on the procedures for vehicle mounting and starting and concluded that they were fundamentally sound, and the incident could have been prevented if the driver had followed them. The SAF has continued to reinforce these procedures and remind its vehicle commanders and drivers to adhere strictly to them before mounting and starting any vehicle.

The most recent incident involving LCP Eugin Wee occurred on 28 January 2011. The SAF immediately ordered a safety time-out that same day, for unit commanders to go through with all vehicle commanders and drivers vehicular safety drills and procedures. The SAF does this when there is an incident of note, because these are teachable moments when safety procedures are reinforced and lessons learnt, shared, so that every person is aware of the relevance of procedures and safety consciousness, and each person knows that safety is in his hands and what he does or does not do can have serious consequences on his buddies or himself.

Mr Speaker Sir, MINDEF takes the safety and well-being of our servicemen very seriously. The Army's Safety System is not simply one which is drawn up on its own, but is also certified in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series or OHSAS. The adherence to OHSAS provides a comprehensive system of safety management based on a set of standard procedures designed to systematically and methodically manage risk in all work processes. OHSAS, for those who are not familiar with it, is an internationally recognised system created by a group of world leading bodies and consultancies who are the authorities of standards and these include countries like Ireland, Australia, South African and Britain. The Army constantly upkeeps our OHSAS standards and undergoes annual inspection and audit by an independent external agency. In addition, the Army also conducts internal Safety Management System Audits on all army units.

The prescribed safety procedures are hence fundamentally sound, but we have to continue to do better to make sure that they are followed. This includes regular reminders to those responsible for operating vehicles and special reminders during such teachable moments. However, safety procedures cannot cover every specific condition that may arise. Hence, it is also important that every serviceman has safety consciousness, looks out for the safety of his men, his buddies and himself.

MINDEF is conducting a Commission of Inquiry, and the Police are independently conducting their investigations into the death of LCP Wee. As these inquiries are in progress, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this specific case at this point in time.