SINGAPORE - A company providing services such as underwater inspection and offshore diving works was issued a stop-work order (SWO) in 2018 over safety lapses, but it continued to instruct its divers to carry out operations.

Joint Pacific Ocean Underwater Services (JPO) was fined $115,500 in July after it was convicted of an offence under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement on Thursday that JPO had put the lives of its divers at risk.

The SWO was issued after the ministry conducted an inspection on board a dive boat called JPO Challenger and found multiple safety lapses.

These included a lack of commercial diving equipment, as well as commercial diving training and a dive plan.

JPO was then issued the SWO on Oct 21, 2018.

MOM said on Thursday: “Under the WSH Act, employers must comply with any (SWO) issued by the Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health.

“This means that workplace activities must not be carried out until the safety measures in the SWO have been taken to the Commissioner’s satisfaction.”

MOM conducted follow-up inspections on April 25, 2019, and found that JPO had breached the order.

Among other things, its divers had been instructed to carry out commercial diving works, such as the underwater inspection of a vessel, as well as underwater polishing of its propeller and cleaning of its hull.

MOM managed to uncover 33 service reports containing details of works that were carried out.

Even though the SWO was still in force at the time, JPO had made 155 applications to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for permits to carry out commercial diving operations.

MOM did not disclose if the MPA granted the permits to the company.

For breaking the law under the WSH Act, an offender can be fined up to $500,000.