Fear of heights was not taken to be real

Nov 30, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Another work site death, another family in grief.
The latest fatality is of a teen working on a steel structure at a rice mill. It is alleged the teen was employed as a labourer and fell from the high steel structure.

This begs the question, employed as a labourer, should the teen have been at that height, given his employment status, and for which he obviously had no training in, amid claims he had a fear of heights, which, as reported in an online report (News Room, Nov 27) he repeatedly told the employer of ‘his phobia for heights’? This fear was not taken to be real, it seems, and the lad might have felt, if he did not comply then he would be out of a job, which would be to his family’s detriment.

Is sixteen the legal, employable age?
Are contractors resorting to this type of employees as a means of cheap labour, who are, once employed expected to do any and everything?

My condolences to the grieving family, relatives and friends of the deceased.

Regards

Shamshun Mohamed