Arawak probes fatal workplace incident

Officials at the Arawak Cement Company Ltd. (ACCL) have launched a “thorough investigation” to determine what caused Sunday’s accident at the St Lucy plant that led to the death of 22-year-old Brian Moore.

The commitment to a probe was given in a statement issued by the company after Moore succumbed on Monday night to serious injuries he sustained on the job.

ACCL expressed sadness at his passing and pledged continued support to his family. It said it would also provide counselling services for employees.

Explaining the incident that led to Moore’s death, the company said: “On Sunday, December 27th, 2020 at approximately 3 a.m., employees were undertaking a routine operational procedure on the seventh floor of our preheater tower. During this activity, hot raw metal exited the cyclone, causing one of our employees, Brian Moore, to be covered in this hot material. Another employee, Vincent Ellis, was also exposed to the hot raw metal on his arm and leg. Both employees sustained burns but regrettably, Brian succumbed to his injuries and passed away on Monday, December 28th, 2020. Vincent is in stable condition and doing well.”

ACCL said that from the moment the incident occurred, emergency protocols were activated to maintain the safety of the personnel within the immediate surroundings.

“At this time, a thorough investigation is underway in order to establish the cause of the accident and to prevent any future occurrences,” the company said.

“As a leader in safety within the industry, with a zero fatalities record until now, the health and safety of our employees have always been our top priority. We will continue to invest in our health and safety management system and, most importantly, our employees.

“We are deeply saddened by this profound loss of one of our employees. At this time, we would like to express our sincerest condolences to his family and co-workers. We remain committed to providing continued support to the family during this time, as well as our employees through external grief counselling services,” it added. (MM/PR)