Singapore’s leading contractor in the offshore and marine industry, along with its current Chief Operating Officer, have appeared in court on charges related to violations of the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 (WSHA) in connection with an incident that occurred four years ago.

Seatrium announced that its subsidiary, Seatrium Energy (Americas) (SEA)—formerly known as Keppel Shipyard—is facing charges related to a workplace accident that took place prior to the merger of the companies in March 2022.

The charges concern the alleged failure to take necessary and reasonable measures to ensure the safety and health of employees at the workplace.

While Seatrium did not disclose details of the incident, it is known that in March 2022, two workers from Bangladesh died at the Keppel Shipyard after falling from a vessel they were working on, following the collapse of scaffolding.

As part of the investigation, charges have also been brought against Keppel Shipyard officials at the time of the incident—namely, the current Chief Operating Officer of Seatrium, former Managing Director of Keppel Shipyard Chor How Jat, and an unnamed former Keppel Shipyard employee. They face similar violations under Section 48(1) of the WSHA as SEA.

SEA, represented by lawyer Tay Peng Cheng from Wong Partnership LLP, and the named individuals appeared before the State Courts of Singapore on August 27. The proceedings are ongoing.

The next hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for October 22.

The company stated that workplace safety remains a top priority and that it continues to strengthen its safety culture, systems, and processes across all its operations.

Seatrium also said it will keep shareholders informed of any significant developments on this matter as necessary, noting that the charges are not expected to have a material impact on the group’s profit or net asset value per share.