OWTU:
Oil platforms must be safe
By Richardson Dhalai
Newsday
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
06 04 07
Petrotrin and Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU)
officials remained locked in marathon negotiations
late yesterday as they sought to hammer out a timetable
for the resumption of operations at seven Trinmar
platforms that had been shut down after one man
died in an explosion.
The
decision to shut down the oil platforms – one,
two, three, five, six, seven and eight – was
taken in the aftermath of the May 21 explosion
at Trinmar’s platform 21 which claimed the
life of Ricardo Felix and left two other workers
hospitalised.
The two workers, Richard Phillip, 23, and Kirk
Peters, 34, have been discharged from the Southern
Medical Centre but are said to be traumatised.
Petrotrin has stated that all rigs had to undergo
a thorough risk assessment to ensure proper health
and safety standards were observed.
OWTU
president general, Errol Mc Leod, took part in
yesterday’s negotiations which began at
about 2 pm at Petrotrin’s administrative
offices in Pointe-a-Pierre.
Sources said the talks centred on a timetable
for when production would start up again at the
seven platforms, but the OWTU had key safety concerns
that it said must be adddressed first. Phillips,
Peters and Felix, employees of Trinjet, were working
on platform 21 at the Soldado field when a 12-inch
pipeline exploded. Felix was buried last Friday,
the same day Petrotrin announced the suspension
of operations on the seven platforms.
Sources said Peters, who lives in La Brea, has
complained of flashbacks. Although the swelling
over his eyes has gone down, his back muscles are
still sore. Phillips, who is also from La Brea,
suffered injuries to his leg and chest. He sustained
a fractured ankle and has to use crutches to move
around. Phillips and Peters are also awaiting counselling
from Trinmar.
Newsday
Tuesday,
May 29 2007
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©2007 Newsday. All Rights Reserved.
