The Ministry of Labour has indicated its intention to investigate Centipede Offshore Guyana Inc for unsafe work practices after becoming aware that 39-year-old Tanesha Fredericks had won a court case brought against the company for chemical burns she sustained while under their employ.
Fredericks, who worked as a utilities cleaner, was granted a default judgment for her injuries against locally operated Trinidad oil company – Centipede Offshore (Guyana) Inc, which has now merged with a larger oil company, JSL International Guyana Inc.
The mother of two disclosed that she started working as a utilities cleaner with the company in September last year. When she got onboard the offshore rig, she was assigned to do laundry but instead of giving her masks and industrial strength gloves to do her work, they gave her surgical gloves. Having received no prior information or training on what safety measures she should take when washing those types of clothing, she set to work, exposing herself to the chemicals on the clothing.
A few weeks later, she started noticing that the colour of her fingers was turning into what she described as a greenish and bluish hue. Thereafter her skin and nails started peeling off and eventually her fingers started swelling.
The doctor at the hospital explained to her that her fingers were severely burnt by the chemicals she was exposed to and that the cells were dead. Fredericks stated that while onshore the state of her fingers worsened and they were numb save for the shooting pains at the tip of each finger. She was terminated from the job last November.
When she spoke to Stabroek News last Thursday, Fredericks disclosed that the Labour Ministry had contacted her and promised to investigate the matter. Although she was granted default judgement after Centipede failed to file a defence, she said she is happy that the ministry approached her because apart from the money she is likely to receive, it is not known if other employees were forced to endure similar working conditions.
Regarding her injuries, Fredericks said nothing has changed and fears that the damage may be permanent.
“I have to be really careful to ensure that I don’t accidentally hurt or burn my hands when I am cooking or doing other chores,” she commented.
Nevertheless, she remains hopeful that one day she will be able to feel her hands again.
Meanwhile, when contacted, JSL confirmed that Centipede has merged with the company but did not offer any information on the matter, saying that no one was available to comment on the issue.
Up to press time, the Ministry of Labour did not respond to questions by Stabroek News regarding the status of the investigation.
Fredericks in her Statement of Claim before the High Court is seeking an order that $1 million be granted to her as default judgment for what she says was negligence on the part of her employer for the burns she suffered on October 28 and 29, 2020.
According to court documents seen by this newspaper, she is also seeking special damages for medical expenses, loss of income, loss of earning capacity, interest thereon, court costs, and any other order the Court deemed just to grant. The judge has set October 21 of this year for an assessment of the quantum of damages that will be awarded.
