Contractors and Safety

[cheese]

http://m.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-05-07 ... halt-paver

Operator crushed by asphalt paver

Harridath Deolatsingh worked long, hard hours so that he could finish his family home, but his plans came to a tragic end on Tuesday when he was crushed by the asphalt paver he was operating. Deolatsingh, 43, an operator with DJ Contractors of Abdool Village, Penal, was on a Ministry of Works and Infrastructure road paving project at Jewel Drive, Palmiste.

A police report stated that around 5 pm, he was driving the machine up a hill when it appeared that the gear lever stuck, causing it to reverse uncontrollably into a resident’s driveway. He fell out the paver, which then rolled over his body before stopping in a drain. Yesterday, officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Authority were on site as an investigation had been started.

Tears flowed at Deolatsingh’s home yesterday where his mother Polly struggled to believe that her only son was gone. His three-year-old son Jeevan played with other relatives, too young to understand. His wife, Radhica Singh, said she last saw her husband at 7 am when he dropped her off at work. She said when she called him around 3 pm, he told her that he could not take her home because he was working. When she called again to find out when he would be home, it was then she learned of the accident.

“When I called him after 5 (pm), his partner answered the phone and said ‘Japs’ got in an accident, he was under the spreader and an ambulance was on the way. I said I would meet them at the hospital, but when I reached there, a police officer hugged me and told me, ‘these things happened.’ I did not even know that he had died,” Singh said.

She said her husband had started working with the contractor only two months ago and was experienced in operating equipment. While Deolatsingh’s employers have offered to cover his funeral expenses, Singh said she did not know if she would be able to finish the house, which was still under construction. She said they had moved into the house just a year ago.

Could this have been prevented? What are the necessary precautions one could have ensured to prevent this unfortunate incident? What would be the consequences the contractor would face?

[MG Man]

most accidents can be prevented, but sometimes, freakyshit just happens....the press article doesn;t really give much to go on though

[BRZ]

Lots of industrial machines are SUpposed to have safety features built into them, like if the Seat senses a total loss of weight it will shut down, I guess this did not happen in this occasion.

[tr1ad]

Lots of industrial machines are SUpposed to have safety features built into them, like if the Seat senses a total loss of weight it will shut down, I guess this did not happen in this occasion.

that's on newer machines, may not be the case with this one

[Slartibartfast]

Still trying to visualise how it happened tho...

[sliderz1]

seatbelt.

[Chimera]

The lever broke, he and one other person were on the machine. The other person jump off but it had workers behind the machine and the driver stayed on to try and steer/save the other workers. Then it hit a bump or something and he fall off .

[SmokeyGTi]

^^ basically eh died trying to save the others.
but did the seat have a harness?

[Groovemaster]

MOWI would now request inspection certificates for equipment from contractors. Everybody buying asphalt plant, concrete plant, paver, etc and working them with alot of faults

[Chimera]

Yup old used equipment all over like b14

[cheese]

MOWI would now request inspection certificates for equipment from contractors. Everybody buying asphalt plant, concrete plant, paver, etc and working them with alot of faults

Wouldn't MOWI already have all these necessary certificates? From what I understand, MOWI requires that you submit a company profile with all your equipment listings which determines if you are capable of the job or not. If not, how could they start a paving job without those documents? Also, isn't there supposed to be a supervisor from the ministry present during the paving?

[MonsterPower]

proper operator training would have helped in this situation .. most times these men just jump on a machine or been around them so long they almost think they part of it until something happens.

poor maintanance as well as used machines being brought into the country with no sort of inspection or guidlines as with cars with the 5 yr rule .

[Groovemaster]

I work with a company who gets work from "PURE" and we don't have certified tested equipment nor has MOWI - PURE requested any such inspection certificates.

[Chimera]

Lol @ inspection.

I have some pics from when a pure contractor was doing box drain in front by me. The "manager" who was directing the excavator what to do, was wearing a hard hat, reflective vest, short pants and rubber slippers.

[uncle sam]

very tragic.. those things have seat belts?

[cheese]

I work with a company who gets work from "PURE" and we don't have certified tested equipment nor has MOWI - PURE requested any such inspection certificates.

So anybody can buy road paving equipment and pave roads despite lack of expertise? Are there any boundaries to this? I'm not saying a man should be deprived of pursuing a business he wishes to pursue. Of course it is his right but what about tendering process, expertise, capabilities of contractor etc? Does "PURE" follow along these guidelines?

Lol @ inspection.

I have some pics from when a pure contractor was doing box drain in front by me. The "manager" who was directing the excavator what to do, was wearing a hard hat, reflective vest, short pants and rubber slippers.

Post pics

[Slartibartfast]

So anybody can buy road paving equipment and pave roads despite lack of expertise? Are there any boundaries to this? I'm not saying a man should be deprived of pursuing a business he wishes to pursue. Of course it is his right but what about tendering process, expertise, capabilities of contractor etc? Does "PURE" follow along these guidelines?

Yes. Sadly the only qualification one needs to become a contractor is access to capital (and questionable morals to really make it to the top)

Also, paving roads is "easy morney". There is no where else that you can consistently knock out multi million dollar contracts in the space of a week with what seem to be a straight forward and repeatable design and construction process.

Roads are extremely easy to build/ pave over. Good roads that can stand the test of time (20-30 years) however are much more difficult and require qualified and experienced personnel.

Until the requirements of a contractor changes T&T will continue playing "Road Roulette" for the foreseeable future. Some roads will stand up while most fail within 5 years and most contractors will have no idea why.

[Redman]

The same purchase order I made reference to was paid to a contractor that did not have anything but the corporate documents..

Got financed by an 'investor' after he got the contract.

Organized what he was told to get and figured out the rest

made 400% on a multi million dollar contract.

[djcase00]

Nothing new or surprising to what youre saying. All this money cannot leave the country (unless your a minister or sumn) and we have serious inflation in our future.