Trinmar worker dies of injuries

After almost a month of languishing in a hospital bed waiting on arrangements to be made to have him flown out for specialised, life-saving treatment abroad, contract worker Kenneth Merrique, who was among a group of workers injured in a gas explosion on an off-shore Trinmar platform, succumbed to his injuries Thursday night. Merrique, 55, and 12 other contract workers were performing maintenance repairs on high pressure gas valves on a Trinmar off-shore platform at Block Station 16 (North) in the Soldado Field, when the explosion occurred.

Merrique, an employee with Valve Components Ltd (ValCom), was the most seriously injured among the five workers who were transported to the Southern Medical Centre for emergency treatment. However, while his co-workers were subsequently discharged, Merrique remained warded as tests revealed he was in need of specialised medical treatment abroad. In an immediate response to Merrique’s death, Ancil Roget, president of the Trinmar branch OWTU, was highly critical of Petrotrin’s handling of the incident, saying Merrique might have had a better chance at survival if Trinmar’s management had taken responsibility for Merrique’s medical expenses.

Top ranking Petrotrin officials expressed shock that he had died and could not say whether they would assist in funeral arrangements. Speaking to Newsday shortly after a two-hour prayer service for their colleague, Roget charged: “This situation, how it was handled by the company is a clear manifestation of the governance issue that if Trinmar was as it was before, Trinmar would have ensured proper foreign medical attention in a timely manner. Petrotrin has full control of Trinmar, and that allowed for Trinmar to degenerate to the level that Petrotrin has its health and safety standards.” Roget added that Petrotrin’s interference was a major hindrance in securing approval to send the injured man for treatment abroad. “He was a contractor worker. We feel Petrotrin doesn’t care about its workers, hence the reason why we should maintain separation between Petrotrin and Trinmar,” he said.

Roget complained that workers had to resort to shutting down the company on several occasions before Petrotrin would agree to send Merrique abroad, but by then it was too late. Roget noted that had a relative of Petrotrin executives been involved in the explosion, they would not have delayed to send that person away for foreign treatment. “We are saddened at the passing of Merrique. As you know we went out a lot to ensure that the company demonstrated goodwill and ensure that the injured worker receive foreign medical attention,” he said.

Roget warned that the company was being given until next week Wednesday to outline a comprehensive plan detailing the refurbishment of facilities and a complete pipe audit on existing lines to ensure work continued on offshore platforms.  “Once  hazardous work areas are identified, we are asking workers to abandon the facilities until the unsafe conditions were repaired,” he added. However, Roget declined to say what measures workers may resort to if their demands were not met. When Newsday visited Merrique’s Palmyra home yesterday, his grief-stricken wife, Denise, was still trying to come to terms with his death and declined to comment.