Site supervisor dies after bricks, canopy collapse on him at house near Upper Paya Lebar
Lok Jian Wen
The Straits Times
May 17, 2026
A construction worker died on May 16 following a work-related incident at a house near Upper Paya Lebar Road, where a newly built canopy collapsed and fell on him.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police said they were alerted to the incident in Jalan Usaha at 10.30am on May 16. The 30-year-old man was unconscious when taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he later died.
Based on preliminary investigations, no foul play is suspected, the police said, adding that investigations are ongoing.
In response to queries, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said the site supervisor was struck by pallets of bricks when a newly constructed canopy, on which the pallets were placed, gave way.
As a general safety measure, construction materials should not be placed on structures not designed to bear the load of the materials, the spokesperson added.
The man was employed by LCN, which has been instructed to stop all work at the worksite. MOM is investigating the incident.
A Building and Construction Authority (BCA) spokesperson said it will revoke the permit for building works and issue a stop-work order to allow further investigation into the cause of the incident.
It has verified the qualified person’s (QP) initial investigation that the structural integrity of the neighbouring properties remains unaffected and poses no safety concerns.
The QP is required to submit an investigation report and rectification proposals for BCA’s review before work can resume.
A project manager from LCN, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lau, told The Straits Times on May 17 that the site supervisor was suspected of instructing colleagues to place around six tonnes of bricks on the canopy, despite having previously been told to avoid doing so.
“The canopy collapsed less than five minutes after the lorry crane had placed the bricks on it,” he said, adding that it was a cast concrete canopy.
“It could not bear the weight of the bricks, and together they fell on him.”
Mr Lau, who alerted the SCDF and the police, said he was managing the construction project to build a new 2½-storey house after the previous one was torn down.
“We are not sure why he gave the instruction (to place the bricks on the canopy), or why he was standing (under the canopy), but it was possibly to shelter the bricks because of the rain in the morning,” he said.
The supervisor, an experienced worker from Bangladesh, had been with the company for about six months, he added.
Mr Lau said the company was making arrangements to claim the body and offer assistance to the deceased’s family after the autopsy had been completed, with the project on hold while the authorities conducted their investigations.
“Nobody wanted this to happen, but we want to maintain accountability to stakeholders, including the workers, authorities and the house’s owner,” he said. The company will remind other supervisors about safety matters, he said.
The construction sector recorded 13 deaths in 2025, according to MOM’s annual workplace safety and health report.
- Additional reporting by Sherlyn Sim
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