SIBU: Three timber companies have been fined RM30,000 each by the Sessions Court in Kapit on Tuesday (June 21) for an industrial accident that caused the death of their workers.

       In the first case, WTK Heli-Logging Sdn Bhd was found to have failed to ensure the safety, health and welfare of an employee, Kiing Sik Hock, 62, under Section 15(1) of the Workers' Safety and Health Act 2004.

       Kiing had died at about 5.40pm on July 28, 2019, while at work in the company's logpond in Nanga Amang, Batang Rajang.

       He was operating a crawler crane to lift timber logs from the river to the pond when he fell into the river together with the machine.

       A search and rescue team led by the Fire and Rescue Department later found his body at about 1.02pm on July 30 opposite Nanga Nyikau.

       For the second charge under Regulation 5(1)(a)(bb) of the Workers' Safety and Health Regulation, the company, which pleaded guilty, had failed to report an accident within seven days to the Occupational Safety and Health Department.

       The second company, Pan Contractor Sdn Bhd, was also charged and fined for a similar offence.

       Worker Lagok Kekura, 62, was tying timber logs at about 2.30pm on July 29, 2019 at Kem Sebiro, Ulu Gaat Mengiang, when a log fell on him, resulting in his death.

       Meanwhile, Soong Sing Sdn Bhd was also fined a similar amount.

       One of their Indonesian workers, Almin, lost his life when he was trying to fell a tree at about 11am on July 17, 2019.

       Judge Marutin Pagan presided over the cases.