Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Families ‘to hear’ from company in April
The ill-fated vessel
Families of the victims of the trawler explosion which occurred last June, now have to wait until April this year to hear if the fishing company will pay them any compensation.
The preliminary report into the explosion slammed the seafood company, Pritipaul Singh Investments Inc., for its lax safety methods, further indicating that the fire on the vessel, Capt. Lloyd 97, was caused by a faulty alternator which was exposed to a sparking wire.
Nineteen year old Orlon Munroe who received burns to about 90 percent of his body died some three months after the incident at the Georgetown Hospital Burns Care Unit. The captain for the vessel, Delbert Williams’s body was never recovered.
According to relatives yesterday the company informed them that they would know some time in April, whether they will be compensated.
Relatives further told this publication that they can’t understand why they must wait so long to hear from the company.
“We waited for the findings in the report……now we have to wait until they make up their minds to see if compensation is due,” one relative said.
Further, some family members said that they have been unable to access any sort of claims from the National Insurance Scheme.
Meanwhile, efforts to contact a company representative at Pritipaul Singh Investments proved futile yesterday.
The company had said that it was complying with the recommendations of the trawler report, but had disagreed with several aspects of the document.
The entity had promised to make a public statement but never did.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud had emphasised that trawlers found breaching the Ministry’s codes will not have their licences renewed.
“Trawler owners must not look at money…. they must fight to ensure safety,” he said.
One of the findings of the report was that the company was asked to urgently seek to develop a Quality Management System and it is imperative that the author of that system be a qualified and experienced consultant with relevant nautical knowledge and competence.
Further, the report recommended that the company should have an occupational health and safety manual on board its vessels.
The report also recommended that the owner of the vessel must seek to appoint persons who have the relevant skills and qualifications.
Another recommendation was that job descriptions for each position within the Company is compiled, documented and should form part of the Quality Management System.
The changing of the format of the Captain’s Report/ Work Sheet was suggested.
A column is also needed to record exactly what action is taken when defects are reported. It must be mandatory for the relevant signatures to be affixed to the document.
In terms of safety, the company was advised to ensure that all emergency and safety equipment on shore and aboard the ship are acquired and maintained and in a serviceable state.
Emergency drills are expected to be carried out periodically ashore and onboard the company’s ships.
When recruiting workers the company must ensure it contracts qualified captains and that these captains employ experienced crew members, or at least persons who have attended the basic training course.
Further it was suggested that the company should have a mechanic on board, not necessarily as a crewmember, but as a utility man.
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