(Trinidad Guardian) Chief Fire Officer Arnold Bristo has confirmed that NiQuan Energy Trinidad Ltd (NiQuan) never reported the fire which took the life of Allanlane Ramkissoon to the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS).
And Bristo says it is quite concerning that the TTFS was not apprised by the energy company over what transpired at its Pointe-a-Pierre plant last Thursday.
“It is of concern for the T&T Fire Service, as all fire-related incidents, including death by fire, must be reported to the Fire Services,” Bristo said yesterday
Speaking to Guardian Media via text messages, Bristo said the failure of NiQuan to alert the Fire Service when the accident occured makes it harder for them to assist in a probe the matter going forward. In any event, he said from here, it will mean a little more than just Fire Service involvement.
“That will require the intervention of the state. Investigation after the scene is cleared makes it more difficult,” he said.
Bristo did not answer any further questions.
Neither did the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Stuart Young, nor Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds. Guardian Media asked both Ministers if they were aware that the TTFS was kept out of the loop but no immediate responses were given.
Guardian Media also attempted to contact the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) in Trinidad but all calls to its communications department went unanswered.
NiQuan also failed to provide a response.
But shadow Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Couva South, Rudranath Indarsingh, said he was not surprised by NiQuan’s actions.
“This further intensifies the call for a thorough investigation by OSHA into this very tragic accident. If the Government is not willing to uphold health and safety in the public and private sectors, then it’s best we abandon the OSH Act,” Indarsingh said.
Indarsingh said this latest development also further intensifies his suspicion of an attempted cover-up.
“This is why I asked the Prime Minister in the Parliament, taking into consideration section 47 of the OSH Act, whether the accident scene was preserved by health and safety officers and up to today we have not heard that, and while we have heard from Minister Stuart Young that a prohibition notice has been served on NiQuan by OSHA, we have not been told about the state of the accident site.”
Ramkissoon, a pipefitter at Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Limited, suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body during an accident flash fire at the plant on June 15. The 35-year-old, father of two, was flown to a Specialist Burns Unit in Colombia for treatment but he passed away on Sunday.
This was the second major incident that resulted in operations at the NiQuan plant being suspended.
Following an explosion in April 2021, the plant operations stalled but recommenced on May 28, 2022.
