The family of Ravichandra Seemangal, a 46-year-old mechanic of 104 Farm Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, who died on March 16 following an industrial accident at Pritipaul Singh Investments is calling for the authorities to have the person responsible suspended from work until the investigation is completed.
A Ministry of Labour release yesterday stated that its Occupational Safety and Health Department is currently investigating the fatal industrial accident that occurred on March 13. The investigators are Senior Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Darwin Bourne and Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Ray Hosannah.
The investigation has so far revealed that on the day of the accident, Seemangal, a mechanic of Pritipaul Singh Investments, was riding his bicycle in the compound while at the same time, a telehoist operator was reversing his vehicle. The telehoist collided with the bicycle resulting in Seemangal sustaining injuries to his abdomen, feet, and hands. He succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at Woodlands Hospital on March 16, 2024.
The dead man’s brother, Jayram Seemangal, told Stabroek News that he wants some information about the case. He said he doesn’t know what the police are doing about the machine operator, but he was informed by a source that the man is still working for the company but at another site. Jayram noted that he is aware that the Ministry of Labour is investigating the matter, but he would like the authorities to have the operator suspended until the matter is resolved instead of still being on the job.
On the day of the accident, Jayram said he received a call around 8:30 am from another brother informing him that Ravichandra was in the hospital. He relayed that he didn’t know what had happened at the time so he proceeded to the workplace to find out which hospital his brother was in. However, no one could tell him where his brother was but he eventually found out from his sister-in-law where he was. Jayram said when he got to the hospital, his brother was conscious, however after two surgeries he died.
According to the hospital, Ravichandra had sustained a punctured lung, damaged spleen, fractured pelvis, punctured bladder, and ruptured intestines.
Jayram recalled that while at the hospital, his brother told him that he rode past the machine at a safe distance and continued on his way to the vessel he was working on. His brother related to him that he didn’t expect the operator to reverse and hit him from the back. The brother added that he was not sure if the operator just wasn’t paying attention or the machine didn’t have a rear-view mirror, but he ended up under the wheel of the machine and was pinned down.
