New SOP needed to prevent repeat of Puchong tragedy, says Zuraida

Nabihah Hamid Nabihah Hamid Updated 7 years ago · Published on 7 Oct 2018 7:54PM · 4 Comments

Six firemen drowned during a search and rescue operation for a boy who had fallen into a disused mining pool in Puchong on Wednesday. – The Malaysian Insight pic, October 7, 2018.

THE Fire and Rescue Department’s standard operating procedure (SOP) will be reviewed to prevent a repeat of the tragedy which claimed the lives of six of its divers on Wednesday.

The men drowned during a search and rescue operation for a teenager who had fallen into a disused mining pool in Puchong.

Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin said apart from the SOP review, an investigation panel had been formed to probe the deadly accident.

However, Zuraida described the statement of a safety expert who questioned the SOP used in the operation in Taman Putra Perdana as unfair.

She said he should wait for the full report of the investigation before making any conclusion.

Chairman of Peninsular Malaysia Oil and Gas Professional Association Marikh Azahari Ramli had questioned the procedure of tethering all the divers to one single rope, which he said was not practical in a situation involving fast-flowing water, more so at night.

It was reported that when one of the divers slipped and fell into a whirlpool, he pulled his five other colleagues down with him.

All six drowned even though the depth of the pool was reported to be only 1.2m.

“We have already taken the decision for a review. There might be some procedures that need to be improved.

“If we were to look back at the depth of the pool, we would be saying that the accident shouldn’t have happened. That’s what shocked us.”

Zuraida said the investigation committee will be headed by the ministry’s secretary general.

She said the committee’s task was to make a detailed study on what led to the tragedy and what could be done to prevent it from happening again.

Speaking to the media after witnessing the start of the Lembah Pantai PKR polling today, the Ampang MP said that for the moment she was still waiting for the preliminary report of the accident from the fire department. – October 7, 2018.

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Comments

  • Make public the current SOP that they use to find the missing boy that drown. I bet there is none. Most government SOPs are very general in nature and they do not have a system in place where the process owners periodically review and update them. Government SOPs are usually written by those not involved in the actual process and that usually means they are incomplete or not practical to follow. And also, please stop thinking that all can be solved by SOPs as if it is a magic potion. The officer in charge of the rescue also failed to use their brains.

    Posted 7 years ago by Zaki Razak · Reply

  • Those in charge of the so called SOP and training should be held accountable. Any rules and regulations are created by people in charge, they must take responsibility and held to account. Incompetence at the top must be exposed.

    Posted 7 years ago by Xuz ZG · Reply

  • Were search and rescue operations being undertaken in unsuitable conditions, so as to pose a hazard to the late firemen? At night. SOP review must also consider their welfare, and not expose them to possible danger. Any departmental negligence must compensate the bereaved families..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Brave young heroes paid the price for a hastily executed "rescue" mission.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jebat Hebat · Reply