Explosion at Eugene Correia Inter’l Airport...Labour Department finds no ambulance was available to transport victim following accident

Explosion at Eugene Correia Inter’l Airport…Labour Department finds no ambulance was available to transport victim following accident

Oct 08, 2016 News

On July 20, last, an incident which occurred at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara left engineer, Anil Rampersaud, nursing serious injuries to his hands and ankle.

The report being handed over to Human Resources Manager for the Roraima Group of Companies, Glenis Archer, by an official of the Labour Department.

The incident also resulted in damage to a Britten-Norman Trislander aircraft.
The management of Roriama Airways, the company where the incident occurred, when questioned was unable to give an accurate account of what transpired. There were only reports of an explosion at the hangar where the Britten-Norman Trislander aircraft was located.
An investigation was launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident by both the Maintenance Quality Department and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.
The Ministry of Social Protection, which has responsibility for workplace operations, submitted an initial report which determined that breaches of the known safety standards were in existence for an accident to have occurred at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport.
The Ministry had promised to address all breaches “with the seriousness they deserve”.
Investigators collaborated with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and other departments in addressing infractions of the Occupational Safety & Health Legislation and all other labour-related laws with regards to the incident.
Yesterday, officials of the Occupational Safety and Labour Department handed over a complete report of their findings to the Human Resources Manager for the Roraima Group of Companies, Glenis Archer, at the Ministry’s Brickdam location.
According to the findings, based on the investigation by Senior Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Prandatt Basdeo, it was recommended that an ambulance be stationed permanently at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, for emergency purposes.
Speaking at the presentation was the Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer (ag), Lydia Greene.
She said that “the Ministry finds it necessary to call on the airport authority to take the necessary steps to ensure that an efficient ambulance service is provided for – on site – at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport.
The Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer noted that “during the investigations under focus, it was also revealed that in the absence of an ambulance service, the injured employee had to be transported to a city hospital in a private car.”
“In doing so, he was exposed to the possibility of further injury. The Ministry is of the view that such a deficiency in the safety arrangements at the airport needs to be urgently addressed by the airport authorities.” she added.
Ms Greene stated that several shortcomings may have contributed to the accident. She said that she expects the company to take corrective actions immediately.
The health and safety official urged members of the public to utilise the hotline, 225-7008, that was recently established to report on all workplace accidents.
After all “safety is everybody’s business,” “she stressed.
Rampersaud, an engineer attached to the airport, was reportedly executing maintenance work with aircraft technician, Darcy Chambers, when a fire erupted. He reportedly jumped from the aircraft and sustained injures to his left ankle and burns to his hand. The engineer was transported to the Woodlands Hospital in a private car.
The affected Britten-Norman Trislander aircraft also sustained damage to the right wing.

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