The Ministry of Labour’s (MoL) investigation into the on the job death of Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase worker, Rusbel Azocar, has been completed and a number of recommendations have been to the company. Among the findings, there was improper lighting at the facility and the worker was not in proper safety attire at the time of his demise.
Findings of the February 10 onsite fatal incident will soon be sent to the company, which continues to forge ahead with plans for the delayed project, even as ExxonMobil signalled that they are committed to signing the lease once the work is completed.
Days before the fatality, ExxonMobil had said that the delay in the handing over of the US$300 million artificial island shore base at Vreed-en-Hoop will not affect its operations as the company has already begun moving its equipment to the site. The island is made of material reclaimed from the Demerara River and required engineering that is novel in this part of the world. It was to have been ready by the end of last year.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton told the Stabroek News that he has received the report but has not yet finished his assessment of it.
“The report is completed and it has found that there was not enough illumination at the site and it impaired his sight causing him to fall into the water…,” a source told the Stabroek News.
“It also found that he was not wearing any protective safety gear and no, he did not have on a life jacket…,” the source added. The source disclosed that a number of recommendations were made and will be “sent to the company so that they could have these implemented.”
On February 10, while working at the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VEHSI) construction site, Azocar, fell into the Demerara River and was subsequently pronounced dead. The following day, the Ministry of Labour stated that its Assistant Chief Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) officers, Maxean Bess and Roydon Croal, had 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.
Joseph Hamilton had raised concerns over the protracted period VESHI took to provide details on the fatal incident, as his ministry only learned of the incident through the media.
“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.”
In a statement, the MoL 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.
VEHSI had said that work at the facility has been suspended.
The company was this week asked for an update into the incident and on stalled works. “There was a safety stand down in response to the tragic death of Mr. Azocar; works have restarted and are progressing on the revised schedule. In relation to the investigation, the company is cooperating fully with the Ministry of Labour, the agency responsible for the investigation,” Ajay Baksh, Public Relations Consultant for VESHI said.
For its part, ExxonMobil stated, “VEHSI formally communicated the tragic incident with Mr. Rusbel Azocar to us.”
The company pointed out that the death had not impacted its operations.
“…EMGL has a robust logistical supply chain, and the delay at VEHSI has not impacted our operations,” the company said in response to questions to this newspaper as it pointed out that “VEHSI is better placed to comment on any potential impacts to the completion date due to the incident.”
Nonetheless, ExxonMobil said that it “remains committed to commencing the lease once work is completed.”
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 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.
Some 10 acres were to be made operational by December 2023, with additional acreages delivered by the second quarter of this year. It could mean that this year’s timeline will also suffer setbacks. The long-term vision of the project will see the full Port of Vreed-en-Hoop completed with as much as 800 acres of port facilities.
