Supervisor gets jail after worker dies from electrocution during solar panel maintenance at Singapore Expo

Ramalingam Kumaresan failed to ensure that not more than 20 solar panels were connected in a series. Investigations found that 79 panels were connected, deviating from the plan shared with an electrician on his team.

Ramalingamam Kumaresan arrives at the State Courts on Sep 25, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

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SINGAPORE: A supervisor was sentenced to five months’ jail on Friday (Sep 25) for negligence after a worker died from electrocution while working with solar panels on the rooftop of Singapore Expo.

The worker died after being electrocuted on Jun 12, 2023, when he picked up a damaged cable connected to solar panels on the rooftop of the building with his bare hand.

Ramalingam Kumaresan, 46, failed to train the workers from the solar panel installation team on the electrical hazards of connecting more than 20 solar panels in a series, court documents showed.

He also failed to check on the solar panels installed on the roof of Singapore Expo’s Hall 4B to ensure that not more than 20 of them were connected in a series.

Both Kumaresan and the victim worked for E-Tech Building Services as a supervisor of the solar panel installation team and a worker with the mechanical team respectively.

Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Melvyn Low asked for six to eight months’ jail for the Indian national, while his lawyer Daniel Tay from BR Law argued for three to four months’ jail for his client.

In delivering her sentence, District Judge Crystal Tan agreed with prosecution that this was a case of high harm and moderate culpability. After he was sentenced, Kumaresan asked to speak to his relatives, who were present in court on Friday, before starting his jail term.

The installation of the solar panels at Singapore Expo began on Apr 17, 2023. Two workers from the solar panel installation team installed and connected the solar panels as directed by Kumaresan, court documents said.

This concluded two days later, and on Jun 1 that year, Kumaresan told the installation team to lap and connect looping cables for all the solar panels that had been installed.

As a result, a total of 79 panels were connected in a series, court documents said.

This deviated from the string drawing provided to an electrician on the solar panel installation team, but it went undiscovered. The drawing had stipulated in colour highlighting that not more than 20 solar panels should be connected in a series.

According to court documents, Kumaresan had expected that the workers from the solar panel installation team would have known to connect the solar panels according to the string drawing. As such, he did not conduct the necessary checks.

On Jun 12, 2023, Kumaresan instructed the victim and another colleague to perform housekeeping on the roof of Expo Halls 4 and 5. While doing so, the victim discovered that a cable from one of the solar panels was exposed and damaged, leaving a burn mark on the surface of the roof.

He informed Kumaresan about this. The supervisor visited the site and saw the worker holding the damaged end of the cable. He told the worker he would get the necessary tool to dismantle the solar panel in question.

Shortly after, the worker shouted and collapsed. He was taken to a hospital and died later that day.

Investigations found that he picked up the exposed cable with his bare hand and touched another part of the roof with his other hand, completing the electrical circuit and resulting in his electrocution.

Those guilty of a negligent act at work that endangers the safety or health of others may be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$30,000 (US$23,476), or both.

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拉马林加姆·库马雷桑未能确保串联连接的太阳能电池板不超过20块。调查发现，实际连接了79块电池板，这与他事先告知团队电工的方案不符。

拉马林加马姆·库马雷桑于2026年9月25日抵达国家法院。（图片：CNA/伊利·曼索尔）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：一名工人在新加坡博览中心屋顶安装太阳能电池板时触电身亡，一名主管因疏忽大意于周五（9月25日）被判处五个月监禁。

2023年6月12日，一名工人在建筑物屋顶上用裸手拿起一根连接到太阳能电池板的损坏电缆时触电身亡。

法庭文件显示，46 岁的拉马林加姆·库马雷桑未能对太阳能电池板安装团队的工人进行培训，使其了解串联 20 多个太阳能电池板所带来的电气危险。

他还未能检查安装在新加坡博览中心 4B 馆屋顶上的太阳能电池板，以确保串联连接的电池板不超过 20 个。

Kumaresan 和受害者都曾在 E-Tech Building Services 工作，Kumaresan 担任太阳能电池板安装团队的主管，而受害者则担任机械团队的工人。

人力部检察官 Melvyn Low 要求判处这名印度籍男子六至八个月监禁，而他的律师 Daniel Tay（来自 BR Law 律师事务所）则辩称应判处其当事人三至四个月监禁。

地方法官陈晶在宣判时同意控方观点，认为此案危害极大，但被告人罪责中等。库马雷桑被判刑后，在入狱服刑前请求与周五到庭的亲属交谈。

新加坡博览中心的太阳能电池板安装工作于 2023 年 4 月 17 日开始。法庭文件显示，太阳能电池板安装团队的两名工人按照库马雷桑的指示安装并连接了太阳能电池板。

两天后，这项工作结束。同年 6 月 1 日，库马雷桑告诉安装团队，将所有已安装的太阳能电池板的环形电缆搭接并连接起来。

法庭文件显示，最终共有 79 个面板串联在一起。

这与提供给太阳能电池板安装团队电工的接线图不符，但却未被发现。图纸上用彩色标明，串联的太阳能电池板不得超过20块。

根据法庭文件，库马雷桑认为太阳能电池板安装团队的工人会按照接线图连接太阳能电池板，因此他没有进行必要的检查。

2023 年 6 月 12 日，库马雷桑指示受害者和另一名同事对 4 号和 5 号展览馆的屋顶进行清洁工作。在清洁过程中，受害者发现其中一块太阳能电池板的电缆裸露在外，并且已经损坏，在屋顶表面留下了烧痕。

他把这件事告诉了库马雷桑。主管到现场查看，看到工人正拿着损坏的电缆末端。他告诉工人，他会去拿必要的工具来拆卸这块太阳能电池板。

不久后，这名工人突然大叫一声，倒地不起。他被送往医院，当天晚些时候去世。

调查发现，他用裸露的手拿起裸露的电缆，又用另一只手触摸屋顶的另一部分，从而形成闭合电路，导致触电身亡。

在工作中因疏忽行为危及他人安全或健康的人，可被判处最高两年监禁，罚款最高可达 30,000 新元（23,476 美元），或两者并罚。

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