While there was a contractual agreement for Paria Fuel Trading Company to continually monitor the sub-sea maintenance at Berth No.6, the maintenance technician on the job, Houston Majardsingh, only observed the camera feed of the work for a few minutes.
Marjadsingh spent the morning of February 25 at Berth No.5 in the Pointe-a-Pierre harbour, where a crew planned to carry out carber testing. It was only 10 minutes after arriving at Berth No.6 to check the status of the work that a deadly Differential Pressure (Delta P) event occurred.
It was an occurrence that sucked Land and Marine Contracting Services (LMSC) divers Christopher Boodram, Kazim Ali Jr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry and Rishi Nagassar into the 30-inch diameter Sealine No.36. Only Boodram made it out alive.
Under cross-examination at the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria/LMCS Diving Tragedy at the International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Marjadsingh accepted it was his duty as the applicant for Paria’s Permit-to-Work (PTW) for that day to monitor the work.
As the applicant, Marjadsingh had the authority to stop LMCS if there were changes in the site condition or new hazards.
In his statement to the CoE, Marjadsingh said he issued the PTW to LMCS supervisor Kazim Ali Jr and the crew commenced work.
Meanwhile, he went to Berth No.5 for a Toolbox Meeting and remained until the afternoon. When he reached Berth No.6 around 2 pm, he spoke to LMCS dive supervisor Andrew Farrah, who confirmed the work was progressing.
Marjadsingh then went to a screen and saw one of the divers in the hyperbaric chamber in the water. He moved away but later felt a shake on the berth and heard a noise. He immediately went to the monitor where Farrah was and noticed the camera was not focused inside the chamber and appeared to be showing the wall.
He said Farrah did not know what happened and went onto the LMCS barge, put on his diving gear, went into the water and checked the chamber. He returned after 10 minutes, having not found the divers.
Marjadisingh notified the operators and his co-workers onshore that something may have gone wrong. He said launch vessels searched the surrounding areas for the divers while he stayed on the berth until 11 pm.
Marjadsingh is an employee of Kenson Operations Ltd, which supplies a workforce to Paria. Paria’s maintenance planner, Terrance Rampersadsingh, gave him instructions daily.
On February 25, his duties were to oversee the carber test. He also had to monitor the removal of the defective portion of the riser at Berth No.6 and its replacement. While he claimed he was competent to carry out the task, his witness statements showed he had no experience in subsea maintenance.
An Occupational Safety and Health Authority report on the incident also highlighted that construction was his previous experience
Marjasingh said based on the PWT, the tasks included unbolting and making up flanges and riggings, which was within his expertise. He added that he knew the hazards associated with the job and the controls. He confirmed that the PTW outlined that the workers had to use a migration barrier (inflatable plug) to install the new riser and his duty was to ensure compliance.
Paria counsel Gilbert Peterson SC argued previously that the PTW did not authorise LMCS to remove the barrier.
In Boodram’s evidence, he said it was necessary to install the new riser.
LMCS counsel Kamini Persaud-Maraj argued that if the company went contrary to the PTW, Paria could have stopped the work.
CoE counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj asked if monitoring the works to ensure compliance was most important.
Marjadsingh said yes but his instructions from Rampersadsingh were to monitor periodically, not constantly.
“I do not have to station by the monitor. The monitor is there for me to do checks when I am passing on the site. They have a guy stationed there who will see about that dive: which is the dive master. The monitor is for me to come to oversee and take a look. Everything looks normal. I go to the berth, check the other employees and conduct my job for the day,” Marjadsingh said.
He said sometimes, multiple tasks made it impossible to stay in one location.
While there was a live video feed for Paria to view the work in the chamber, it was also for Farrah to oversee the divers.
Marjadsingh agreed with CoE chairman Jerome Lynch KC that if the incident had not occurred, he would have monitored the remainder of the work to complete his daily report. He also admitted to signing the Toolbox Meeting form for Berth No.6, although he was at Berth 5. The Toolbox Meeting is the briefing session that outlines the work scheduled for the day.
Marjadsingh said he was at another session for carber testing at the same time on Berth No.5. He did not think it was compliant with the rules but signed his name after verifying the meeting happened.
While Paria contends that LMCS was not supposed to remove the migration barrier that day, Marjadsingh could not say whether this was true. Lynch asked if it was because he was not at the meeting, but Marjadsingh said he would know the day’s permitted activities from his discussions with Rampersadsingh. He agreed toolbox meetings are important to attend, but if they are possible. He said there were multiple jobs taking place simultaneously.
Lynch said the meeting at Berth No.5 occurred at 9.30 am and included some of the same people at Berth No.6.
Majardsingh disagreed. He said he went to Berth No.5 not because it was more important, but that he knew the carber testing would begin first. Toolbox Meeting forms showed that LMCS Health Safety and Environment officer Victor Dhillpaul attended both meetings within 15 minutes of each.