Maid is suspected to have fallen from 2nd floor of HDB block in Sengkang while cleaning windows

Summary

• A foreign domestic helper reportedly fell from a second-floor flat at Block 121A Rivervale Drive on Oct 8.

• The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that one person was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital following the incident.

• Employers who breach work safety rules for domestic helpers face fines of up to S$10,000, imprisonment, or both.

SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper is suspected to have fallen from a second-floor HDB flat while cleaning windows in Sengkang. The incident happened at about 10.30 am on Oct 8 at Block 121A Rivervale Drive.

Photos shared online showed a woman lying on a stretcher. Two police officers and about three Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were seen attending to her.

An online post suggested that she had fallen while cleaning windows. However, the exact cause of the fall and injuries sustained hasn't been confirmed. SCDF confirmed that one person was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

At the time of the report (Oct 9), Lianhe Zaobao was seeking more details on the incident from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Employers face penalties for unsafe window cleaning

Window cleaning may seem like a routine household chore, but working near an open window carries serious risks.

Under Singapore’s Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers must provide domestic helpers with a safe working environment. Those who breach the rules can face fines of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both. They may also be barred from hiring foreign domestic helpers.

Employers and helpers must sign a safety agreement with their employment agency after the hiring arrangement is confirmed. The agreement states whether the helper is expected to clean the outside of windows.

Where such cleaning is required, employers must state the window location and relevant safety measures. These include whether safety grilles are installed and whether someone will supervise the work. Helpers must confirm that they understand the duties, while agencies must explain the work involved.

Earlier high-rise window cleaning incident raised concerns

The Sengkang incident follows another worrying sight earlier this year. On May 14, a domestic helper was spotted cleaning windows while standing on a narrow ledge.

She was outside a 24th-floor unit at Lentor Modern condominium in Yio Chu Kang. Holding a long-handled cleaning tool, she worked at a height that alarmed residents who witnessed the scene.

Photo: Nick Karean/Gen-AI · For illustration purposes only

Domestic helper cleaning a high-rise apartment window in Singapore

MOM requires newly arrived domestic helpers to attend a compulsory Settling-In Programme covering workplace safety and local work practices. Helpers also receive long-handled cleaning tools to reduce the need to climb when cleaning high surfaces.

Window safety must come before spotless glass

The Sengkang incident has yet to be fully explained, and the woman’s condition remains unknown. Still, the purpose of the safety rules is to prevent household chores from ending in serious injury.

A clean window is worth having. A worker’s safety is worth far more. Employers should make sure every cleaning task can be done safely before asking anyone to do it.

Read related: ‘To all helpers, say no to your employer if they ask you to do dangerous window cleaning’ — Singaporeans advise after woman, 25, dies in fall at Regent Residences in Boon Keng