Toilet glass door shatters on woman, 8 months pregnant, in Tampines flat, results in S$15,000 hospital bill

A woman in Singapore was rushed to the hospital and had to undergo surgery after the glass shower door in her home suddenly shattered while she was inside.

Michelle Ong, 33, was about eight months pregnant when the incident occurred on Jan. 7.

"I just finished my shower that day and was sliding it open to step out when I heard a crack, and then the shower screen burst," she recounted to Mothership.

Shards of glass fell onto her head and left her with cuts all over the left side of her body: her shoulder, arms, belly, and leg.

As she was in shock and bleeding profusely, her husband rushed her to the A&E.

She found out there that part of her Achilles tendon had been severed by glass and required surgery.

She also had to be hospitalised and was unable to walk for a few days.

The incident could have potentially hurt Ong's unborn child, but also her one-and-a-half-year-old toddler, who used the bathroom about 10 minutes before she did.

"Thankfully, the baby was unharmed after consulting with our gynae," she said.

Second incident

This was the couple's second such experience since they moved into their public housing flat in Tampines in 2021.

The first time, it was a glass panel in the common bathroom that shattered in 2023.

Fortunately, no one was in the bathroom at the time, which was not used as much as the one int he master bedroom.

"We didn't think too much about it, because no one got injured. And we know [that with] tempered glass, it's rare, but there are reports from time to time of it shattering spontaneously," said Ong's husband, Atticus Yeo, 32, said.

As the glass door was installed more than two years ago at the time and past its two-year warranty period, the couple did not reach out to the interior designer for restitution, and chalked it up to bad luck.

But when it happened again in 2025 — this time injuring Ong in the process — the couple decided to seek answers.

They contacted the interior design (ID) firm, Voila Design, which oversaw the installation of the glass doors.

But when the director went down to assess the issue, he told them that as the two-year warranty period was over, they could only arrange to get the glass cleaned up.

He also advised the couple that the glass shower panels required maintenance.

"This is the first time I'm hearing that shower screen doors needing to be maintained," Yeo said.

The homeowner added that at no point during the renovation did the ID firm mention anything about maintenance.

As it was their first home, the couple also did not know what sort of maintenance would be required.

"I'm just a layman, right? I didn't know glass needs to be maintained.

If I had known that this is something we need to be cautious about, and that we should have contacted them, then definitely we would have."

ID firm's response

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Voila confirmed that they were engaged for the unit's renovation and that they handed the flat over in January 2021.

The firm said a phone holder that was clipped onto the shower frame was likely to be the reason for the shattered glass in the master bathroom.

"The placement would likely have caused contact with the glass, leading to the shattering when the screen door was slid, particularly if significant force was applied," the spokesperson said.

The clip could also have led to other mechanical issues even without direct contact with the glass.

The spokesperson also said that when staff went down to check, the shattered shower screen could be heard making a squeaking noise when opened and shut.

This indicated that the tracks were "due for maintenance", the spokesperson said.

The incident might hence have been prevented if the couple had contacted the ID earlier regarding the wear and tear, she added.

"Regarding maintenance, with the obvious noise coming from the tracks, we believe the homeowner should have first contacted their designer, as some of our clients do when they face similar issues," the spokesperson said.

"Proper maintenance over time could have addressed these concerns, ensuring the safety and functionality of the shower screen."

The firm would have subsequently been able to assist the couple, either at a cost or out of goodwill.

The spokesperson added that they had at times offered to assist clients out of goodwill, even after the warranty had expired.

Toilet glass door shatters on woman, 8 months pregnant, in Tampines flat, results in S$15,000 hospital bill https://t.co/rhh9j3H8Qv pic.twitter.com/SndrDWnVAX

— Mothership (@MothershipSG) January 20, 2025

Couple's response

However, Yeo argued that the squeaking sound had been present since the unit was handed over to them.

It had also been present in the common bathroom before the glass shattered in 2023, even though it was rarely used and no phone holder had been installed there.

"It sounds like a normal door sliding door to me," he said.

The couple has since filed a report with the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) and intend to claim for Ong's medical expenses of just under S$15,000.

They also plan to get all the shower glasses in the flat redone.

They have hired a third-party contractor to conduct an independent investigation.

In the meantime, they have moved out of the flat as Ong was "traumatised" by the event and the couple does not want to risk their child's safety.

"Both times, the shattering glass barely missed my daughter," Yeo added.

"Should a life be lost, no measures would be timely or mitigating enough."

BCA's response

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from the Building and Construction Authority confirmed that the Building Control Act does not regulate the use of glass in internal fixtures and fittings.

This includes mirrors, shower screens, and glazed doors.

With tempered glass, while an internationally accepted standard called the "heat soak test" can be administered during the manufacturing process to lower the likelihood of breakage, it cannot completely eliminate the risk.

As an added precaution, homeowners can consider installing shower screens made of "heat-soaked, laminated glass", which are designed to remain intact even if the glass breaks.

"Our thoughts are with the Yeo family and we wish Mrs Yeo a speedy recovery," the spokesperson added.

Top image courtesy of Atticus Yeo