The Department of Labour has found that negligence by both Tony’s Auto Spares and contractor Asraf Hoosaney contributed to his fatal fall from the company’s La Bonne Intention bond.
Hoosaney, 34, of Lot 760 Block 8, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, was electrocuted when he came in contact with a live wire, which preceded his fall from the bond on August 2nd, 2016.
The final report on the fatal accident, which was handed over to the company by Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer Charles Ogle at the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour yesterday, said there was no single cause but noted that safety was not properly assessed. It said this could have highlighted the risks involved in working in close proximity to the live wire and steps to be taken. “As a matter of fact, no prior risk assessment was done by the company… which holds excellent service to its customers but not their employees,” it said.
The report also found that the company failed to report the accident in the prescribed timeframe and recommended that it be prosecuted to prevent a similar infraction, either willfully or negligently committed, in future.
Ogle yesterday stated that possible actions being taken against the company are currently being discussed.
The report explained that Hoosaney was nailing the zinc sheets of the roof of the bond just prior to the accident. “To facilitate this process he was required to adopt a bending posture to do the nailing. After [finishing] nailing in one spot he would assume an upright posture and walk to another spot,” the report said, while noting that he later “unconsciously or consciously” positioned himself under a power line. “As he straightened up to walk off his body came into contact with the exposed power line,” the report added, while confirming that the man was shocked before he fell to the ground.
In addressing the contributing factors that led to the fatal accident, the report found that no supervision was in place at the time of the accident, no risk assessments were done to eliminate possible hazards and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) was not contacted before or after the accident to isolate or de-energise the area where the work was being done.
The report also found that no first aid kit was on site at the time of the accident and the worker was not wearing any safety gear.
The report recommended that safety measures be put in place at the construction sites and that first aid personnel or medex should also be present. Both recommendations are in keeping with the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The report added that there is a need for training on a regular basis at sites as well and that workers should be reminded on a daily basis on the importance of safety and health when carrying out their tasks. This too is in keeping with the law.
The report also addressed compensation and said that while Hoosaney may have contributed to his own death, the company is nonetheless required to compensate his estate under the provisions of the Accidental Deaths and Workmen’s Injuries (Compensation) Act.
While there have been complaints from families that the Labour Department does not inspect work sites for breaches of the law, Ogle yesterday pointed out that it does regularly visit sites but because of its limited staff it is unable to cover all of the sites around the country.
Meanwhile, Ogle encouraged members of the public to use the department’s hotline (225-7008) and report all safety breaches and potential breaches. “Do remember that the accident you prevent or help to prevent may be to the benefit of a colleague, a friend or even yourself,” he added.
