By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port of Spain : All operations at the Arcelor Mittal steel plant here came to a halt as government officials began investigations into the death of an Indo-Trinidadian worker whose head was crushed by a machine used to compact rolls of steel at the plant.
Eyewitnesses said Anil Bickramdass of McBean, Couva, about five kilometres from the steel plant at Point Lisas in central Trinidad, was working on a compactor machine at the cold end of the mill department when the machine grabbed his head and crushed it Tuesday.
“We don’t know if the machine malfunctioned. One of the arms of the compactor came down and grabbed his head. About four employees were around,” an eyewitness told IANS.
Fazad Mohammed, corporate communications manager of Arcelor Mittal, said that an internal investigation had into the incident had been started.
He told the media that a team comprising officials of the company’s health and safety department, operations unit and representatives of the Steel Workers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago were participating in the investigation into the death of the 38-year-old worker.
Mohammed said Arcelor Mittal was also working with the country’s Occupational Safety Health Agency and relevant government officials to help them determine the root cause of the accident.
“Upon completion of all investigative enquiries a full report and action plan will be developed to further review the current operating processes of such machine,” Mohammed added.