Poor
safety blamed for worker’s death at
Petrotrin refinery
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
12 09 07
A
contract worker fell more than 15 feet to his
death from a platform he was walking on at a catalyst
unit at Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.
The
worker, of St Clair & St Clair Contractors,
has been identified as 50-year-old Finbar Adonis,
of Gasparillo, who was commissioned by Petrotrin
to do maintenance work.
He fell as he was about to conduct repair works
on the unit, sources said.
The accident occurred around 2.45 pm, causing
work on the site to come to a halt.
Adonis was rushed to the Augustus Long Hospital
in Pointe-a-Pierre, where he died shortly after
his arrival.
In
a press release yesterday, Petrotrin’s
communications specialist Arnold Corneal expressed
condolences to Adonis’ family, and said a
full-scale investigation had been launched into
the incident.
The plant, Corneal said, was expected to resume
operations within the next few days.
Up to late last night Petrotrin officials were
still at the site investigating the cause of the
accident.
Blaming
a lack of safety on the job site for Adonis’ death,
Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) representative
Shaffik Hyatali called yesterday for new Labour
Minster Rennie Dumas to investigate the accident.
Hyatali said he had received reports that Adonis
was not wearing a harness while he was conducting
repairs.
“They are responsible for his death. Safety
measures continue to be ignored in this country.
How many more must die before something is done,” Hyatali
said.
The death occurred just two days after the OWTU
raised safety concerns with the state-owned company,
alleging violations of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act, a union official said last night.
And
angry union officials threatened to shut down
Petrotrin’s operations over sub-standard
safety.
Just
last week, the union boycotted Petrotrin’s
health and safety celebrations, saying it was a
mere “pappyshow” and a public relations
stunt.
Second vice president of OWTU Ancil Roget said
the death would not be taken lightly by the workers.
He said it was only on Friday OWTU raised 30 major
breaches in safety standards to Petrotrin.
“The company’s
safety and health managers are not taking us
on, but this death is one too
much. We will not take this so. We cannot stand
by and see more people die.”
Roget
said even if the union had to shut down all of
Petrotrin’s operations and cripple
its productively to ensure safety, this will be
done.
Roget claimed that Petrotrin was allegedly victimising
workers who were exercising their rights to desist
from working in harmful life-threatening environments.
He explained that two weeks ago, port workers
downed tools and they subsequently received warning
notices.
“We
are calling for the immediate removal of those
people who are in charge of health and
safety in Petrotrin, because they are not safe-
guarding the interests of workers.”
He
added that the union had predicted a fatality,
because of the number of “near miss” accidents
that were occurring.
Story
by
ANIKA GUMBS-SANDIFORD and RADHICA SOOKRAJ from
Trinidad Express.
Trinidad
Express
Monday 10th December, 2007
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