Senior Political Reporter
Following the recent death of a worker in a second incident at the NiQuan plant in Pointe-a-Pierre, the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) says it’s time for Government to examine the arrangement with NiQuan and get improvements.
And the Opposition UNC has called on Government to answer a number of queries on the incident.
This following the death on Labour Day of Allanlane Ramkissoon, an employee of Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Ltd (MEES) who had been doing maintenance work at NiQuan on June 15 when the incident occurred. Ramkissoon suffered severe burns and was hospitalised.
He was later flown to Colombia for treatment but subsequently died.
The Energy Ministry has initiated a probe of the matter, as has the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA). The Energy Chamber, meanwhile, has called for the report to be made public.
Yesterday, the OWTU’s Ozzie Warwick said that the report should be made public, and also noted that the report on the April 2021 explosion at NiQuan should be revealed.
Warwick said, “We stand with Mr Ramkissoon’s family, as we do with the families of the late LMCS divers who died in the Paria pipeline debacle. The recent NiQuan incident occurred after the company’s resumption of work (last September) following the April 2021 explosion at NiQuan.
“It’s the latest example of complete breakdown of health and safety standards. The model that’s being used in the energy sector is costing citizens’ lives and has serious implications for T&T’s reputation.”
He added, “After two incidents at NiQuan—where we can’t get a report on the first one and a worker has died in the second—we definitely need to get reports on both. It’s getting to a point where Government must examine the feasibility of its arrangement with Niquan and seek improvements, as it’s turning out to be more of a liability than an asset to T&T.
“There’s no union in NiQuan to watchdog and protect workers so the current arrangement isn’t feasible.”
UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh, expressing condolences to Ramkissoon’s family, added, “That Mr Ramkissoon should meet his untimely death while on the job at NiQuan’s plant hours before workers demonstrated on Labour Day is the reason why there must be immediate and clear answers to the many concerns raised.
“The reports that this young man came into contact with a faulty pipeline that spewed flammable naphtha liquid onto him raises many questions.”
Indarsingh expressed concern about the Prime Minister’s uncertainty over whether the report of the investigation of the incident would be made public.
Indarsingh said,” Occupational Health and Safety legislation and guidelines as approved by statutory bodies for the operation of industrial plants must be observed across the board, regardless of if the owning entity is a public or private organisation. All organisations must be subject to the authority of T&T’s law ...
“Before this incident in which Mr Ramkissoon lost his life, and before the 2021 explosion which rocked south Trinidad, Keith Rowley declared that the NiQuan plant was a success. Those of us who are alarmed and woefully concerned about its safety and its sustained position at the centre of controversy stand to say otherwise.”
Indarsingh called on the Prime Minister to make public the advice that he received that the report into the 2021 NiQuan explosion could/should not be made public because it was a private entity.
“Why the cover-up? This is the same NiQuan plant which was purchased by a PNM Government—in which Dr Rowley sat—under the authority of then chairman of
Petrotrin Malcolm Jones ...”
Questions UNC wants
Govt to answer
• When last was the job site inspected for leaks, and what was the outcome?
• Was there a report that can verify that such pipelines were approved as being of sound integrity?
• Were fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and fire escapes positioned as required by Occupational Health and Safety best practice, and were they functional? If so, then why was there no indication that such were used to reach Mr Ramkissoon or to extinguish the flames on him?
• Is there any truth to reports that an ambulance arrived close to three hours after being called? If so, why was there such a delay?
• Why was Mr Ramkissoon taken to Westshore Medical Private Hospital, Port-of-Spain, rather than to the San Fernando General Hospital or the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, both of which are equipped to deal with emergencies and are closer to NiQuan’s plant?
• In light of the closure of the Augustus Long Hospital, has this PNM Government moved to establish adequate burns treatment facilities in the vicinity of the surrounding industrial areas?
• Has the Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) taken control of the job site and locked it down pending an OSHA-led investigation as required in the Occupational Health and Safety Act?
• Who has been identified to serve on the investigative committee established by the Ministry of Energy? We recall that a similar committee established by the same minister, Minister Stuart Young, to investigate last year’s Paria Diving Tragedy had to be disbanded after the Opposition revealed a conflict of interest regarding then appointee Eugene Tiah, given his personal relationship with Minister Young. Can the country be assured that there will be no conflict of interest or attempts of a ‘cover-up’ in this latest fiasco?