Months after a worker fell off a building in Diamond and died, the Department of Labour is still to complete its investigation.
Matthew Adams, 31, of Lot 75 Block ‘E’ South Sophia, was working on top of a building in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, in September when he came into contact with an electric wire and fell off of the building.
He was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigations had revealed that he was not wearing any safety gear, which resulted in him being electrocuted.
It was related to Stabroek News that the man had picked up a piece of the metal scaffold and turned causing it to come into contact with electrical wires on a utility pole. He was instantly shocked and was thrown off the building. The post-mortem examination had revealed that Adams died as a result of blunt trauma to the head that he sustained from the fall.
According to a source from the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour, the investigation has not been completed and there was timeframe for its completion.
The man’s relatives had raised their concerns as to why he was working at such a height without gloves and a helmet and why live wires were allowed so near the construction site.
Concerns were also raised over why supervisors had not checked the site to ensure that the workers were following the necessary safety precautions or were provided with the mandated gear.
It was also reported to Stabroek News that there was no safety gear available for the workers.
Construction workers are seen daily around the country climbing heights without harnesses and working without safety helmets.
