Twenty-year-old Anand Parag had high hopes of buying a vehicle soon. But distraught relatives said the young man's dreams have been dashed after his leg was sliced off in an accident at an Arima toilet paper manufacturing plant on Thursday. The incident occurred after 1 pm at Trinidad Tissues Ltd in which Parag lost his left leg, from the hip. Parag, a machine operator, remained warded in stable condition at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, yesterday. According to his elder sister Tina Sookdeo, he has been struggling to come to terms with his sudden condition.
Sookdeo, who spent the day with him at the hospital yesterday, described the accident as a "nightmare." "My brother is in shock...He cannot come to terms with the loss of his leg and for the entire family this is like a nightmare," she said. She added that the news of her brother's condition had also devastated their parents. "My mother gave up her job because she now has to take care of our brother," Sookdeo said. Saying the family would pursue all avenues to obtain justice, Sookdeo pleaded for her brother's accident to be thoroughly and fairly investigated.
One of Parag's close friend, also employed at the plant, claimed there were no safety guards on the machine which Parag had been operating at the time. "He was blowing out pieces of tissue with a high pressure hose and then he got stuck in the shaft," the friend said. "The accident could have been prevented if there were safety guards...He was bawling for help for a while before someone came." Yesterday, an official of the company said there were no managers available for comment.
Parag is in dire need of ten pints of A- Positive blood. Anyone wishing to donate is asked to contact his sister Tina Sookdeo at 779 2448.
Osha investigates
Inspectors of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (Osha) have visited the Arima plant and ordered operations to stop. A release issued by the agency yesterday said pictures were also taken and workers, as well as members of management, were interviewed. "The agency has issued a prohibition notice following the critical injury that occurred," the release said. "The agency has been conducting extensive and on going investigations into the paper company due to their occupational health and safety infractions."