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A 48-year-old engineer was inspecting a section of a false ceiling at the CapitaSpring building in Raffles Place on Apr. 8, 2022, when she stepped onto a 1cm-thick gypsum board or plasterboard.

It gave way and resulted in her falling from a height of seven floors or 30m, from the 16th floor to the ninth floor.

She was pronounced dead at the scene and suffered fractures to her skull, spine, pelvis and limbs.

A coroner's inquiry into the death of Carina Monton Isip was opened on Tuesday (Apr. 25.), reported The Straits Times and CNA.

Was aware of false ceiling

The court heard that Isip had been working for contractor Dragages Singapore.

Dragges had engaged a contractor to set up a gondola system to clean the interior facade wall of the CapitaSpring building in the central business district.

Workers on the 16M floor removed the grating cover of the catwalk in order to review a false ceiling access panel underneath.

Lucas Ng from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said there were also guardrails along the walkway and there were signs saying “fall hazard” in the area.

However, there were no signs to specifically alert people about the possible dangers posed by the false ceiling.

He also said information about the false ceiling on level 16M of the building could have “slipped” Isip's mind just before the fall.

It was later discovered that parts of the false ceiling panels had to be cut as the false ceiling around the gondola track was blocking the installation.

On level 16M, Isip walked ahead of another worker who was showing her the spot.

Ng told state coroner Adam Nakhoda that workers on the walkway did not have to wear safety gear such as harnesses.

However, he said that safety gear must be worm by some workers if they are working on a gondola system there, ST reported.

Isip was unaware where the relevant portion was located, and had walked past the opening to the false ceiling, CNA reported.

The worker then pointed out the opening to Isip, and showed her the area that needed to be cut.

Isip, who weighed 48kg, then bent forward to take a closer look and stepped forward through the opening on the catwalk and onto the false ceiling which gave way.

She was the 11th workplace fatality in 2022. There were 46 workplace fatalities in 2022.

Was deemed a safe area

Dragages had conducted risk assessments and daily briefings, and deemed the catwalk as an area safe to access as it had adequate guardrail and had proper fall protection measures.

The only protective equipment required was covered shoes.

According to the MOM investigating officer, the occupier of the building, Ascott International Management, had only allowed the maintenance team to access Level 16M.

Isip was also familiar with working at heights, as she had worked in the construction industry for 27 years.

A further hearing will be held in May.

Top photo via Google Maps