Labour Ministry talking to Customs victims

Contacted yesterday, the Inspectorate’s supervisor Devnath Roopnarine told Newsday that the report which the inspectorate will be giving to Labour Minister Danny Montano will include interviews with the persons injured in the Customs accident. Newsday has been reliably informed that interviews have already been conducted with the workers who were discharged from the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH). Sources said efforts are being made to interview Floyd Simmonds and four other workers who remain hospitalised at PoSGH. Simmonds, whose left leg was amputated because of injuries he sustained in the accident, told Newsday in an interview on July 19 that he hoped to give his account of the accident to the investigators.

Sources added that in order to interview these workers, the necessary clearance would have to be obtained from the relevant medical authorities. Roopnarine explained that the investigation by the Factories Inspectorate would be done in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Sources said the report will analyse both the immediate and root causes of the accident with a view to preventing a recurrence of such an incident on the site. They added that wherever breaches of the legislation are found, the matter would be referred to the ministry’s legal counsel to determine whether there are grounds for further action.

Asked when the inspectorate’s report would be ready, Roopnarine said the person doing the report is still working on it. Sources added that the report will include information from players involved at all levels of the Customs project and is not a case of simply going on site to observe the accident scene and make a determination. Asked who those players were, sources said they would include NH International Caribbean (NHIC), site manager Turner Alpha and other smaller contractors working on the project. Certain sources hinted that at least one report on the Customs accident could be ready sometime next month but it was difficult to give an exact time because of the complexity of the investigation.

Labour Ministry inspectors, Works and Transport Ministry engineers, Port-of-Spain City Corporation engineers and foreign specialists brought in by the Urban Development Corporation of TT have been involved in the investigations into the accident.

Montano has given the assurance that action would be taken against any person or persons who are determined to be responsible for the accident. There has been no work on the site since. NHIC executive chairman Emile Elias said he is hoping that work can resume on a phased basis soon and that the project could meet its November deadline for completion.