The probe by the Ministry of Labour into the death of 36-year-old Venezuelan, Rusbel Azocar while he was working at the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc (VEHSI) construction site on Saturday continued yesterday.
The ministry said in a release that yesterday morning, Assistant Chief Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) officers, Maxean Bess and Roydon Croal, visited the shore base to inspect the area where Azocar allegedly fell and was fatally injured.
They were accompanied by representatives of Belgian company Jan De Nul Inc., who had employed Azocar through subcontractor, Gas Total Solutions Guyana Inc.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton has raised concerns over the protracted period, VESHI took to provide details on the fatal incident.
“Yes, we are concerned because just to say to you that I learnt of this matter (on Sunday) via the media, the officers also learnt about the situation after I informed them about what was reported by the press”, the Minister told this newspaper yesterday.
As it relates to what caused the fatal incident at the shore base, the Minister said that once the probe is concluded, further details would be available to the press.
“As it relates to why and how it happened, all of that will come out of the investigations which have started this morning”, he noted.
When asked if the company Gas Total Solution Inc., would be summoned for questioning, Hamilton said that investigations will cover that aspect.
Efforts to Contact the Director of Gas Total Solution Inc., up to press time were unsuccessful.
The Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department in a statement on Sunday said that it had launched an investigation into a fatal accident which occurred around 18:40 hrs on Saturday, February 10.
The statement said that according to reports received from the company, Azocar was engaged in the task of placing a barrier around a hole with water on the southern half of the site’s quay wall. During the process, he fell into the hole. It added. “Eyewitnesses alleged that Azocar was not wearing a life jacket at the time of his fall, despite a mandate to wear same on the quay wall to prevent drowning.”
It also pointed out that the quay wall slab demolition work had been suspended.
The Guyana Police Force is also conducting investigations.
According to the police, enquiries revealed that Azocar was placing cones and danger tape around a hole “as a signal to warn others of the hazard but unfortunately, he fell into the hole himself.”
The hole, according to the police, had water several feet in depth. “Azocar, who was found in the hole facing head down, presumably drowned. Some witnesses activated the emergency response immediately but unfortunately, Azocar could not be rescued in time by his emergency response colleagues. The body was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. The body was then escorted to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death,” the statement said.
On Sunday, VEHSI in a brief statement on the death said that work at the facility has been suspended.
Delay
The first phase of the project was expected to be completed by December last year but sources had said that there was a delay in that aspect, given the technicalities of the work programme and other factors relating to construction.
Stabroek News had been told that structural issues had surfaced on the shore base which is on an artificial island built of sand and other material dredged from near the Demerara River.
This newspaper had reached out to the company for comment but was told, “There will be no comment from the company at this time.”
Stabroek News had reported that flooded foundation piles had been discovered and sheet piles had opened up.
