Customs crash baffles probers

INVESTIGATORS PROBING Wednesday’s accident at the Customs and Excise building site on Wrightson Road are baffled about what could have caused a steel scaffolding to collapse and injure 20 construction workers.

This was the disclosure yesterday by NH International Caribbean Ltd (NHIC) executive chairman Emile Elias. Elias said there was no work at the site yesterday but he was optimistic that there would be a “phased resumption” of work at the site early next week.

When Newsday visited the site yesterday, the front gates were heavily padlocked and the only persons on the site apart from security personnel were investigators who were inspecting the scene of the accident.

Newsday was informed that this team arrived on site about 8 am, remained there until midday and then met with Elias at NHIC’s offices in St James.

Speaking with Newsday after that meeting, Elias said the investigators had “no idea” what caused the scaffolding to collapse and it was too early at this stage to even submit a preliminary report on the accident to Labour Minister Danny Montano. Efforts to contact Montano yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.

Officials at the ministry’s factories inspectorate said they were unaware of the status of the investigation.

Elias said the investigators (which included engineers from the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, inspectors from the Labour Ministry, engineers from the Works and Transport Ministry and one foreign expert) surveyed the scene of the accident, took photos and other relevant information.

On Thursday, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said engineers from his ministry would be assisting inspectors from the Labour Ministry in the investigation. Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) chairman Calder Hart said Udecott would bring in international experts to assist local investigators.

Elias confirmed there was no work at the Customs building site yesterday but remained hopeful that work would resume at the site early next week. Elias said this work would be in areas far removed from the accident site and might be mostly interior work.

While work at the Customs building remained at a standstill for the second day running yesterday, there was heavy activity on all of the other construction sites in the immediate vicinity such as the Government Campus Plaza on Richmond Street and the waterfront project on Wrightson Road (opposite the Customs building).

At the government campus, much of that was exterior work on scaffolding. Bouygues Batiment’s (the French contractor on the waterfront project) contract manager Bruce Wallace said all the necessary safety procedures are in place on the waterfront and its workers rigidly adhere to those procedures.

Bptt officials confirmed yesterday that its vice-president (corporate operations) Arlene Chow has been selected as the chairperson of the new Occupational Safety and Health Authority. Cabinet approved the formation of the authority on Thursday.