By MANDEEP SINGH
A COMPANY facing prosecution after a worker fell into a six-metre-deep pit and was critically injured yesterday claimed he fell because he was unwell and was simply unlucky to have landed in the hole.
A spokesman for the Bahrain Pipeline Construction Company (BPCC) said the company was not liable to pay compensation and claimed its “fast actions” prevented more serious injuries.
Suram Sathyam, 29, from India, is now in the Intensive Care Unit of Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) where he is receiving treatment for severe head and spine injuries.
The GDN reported on Wednesday that BPCC faces prosecution for alleged negligence as a result of the accident, which happened in Barbar last Monday.
By MANDEEP SINGH
A COMPANY facing prosecution after a worker fell into a six-metre-deep pit and was critically injured yesterday claimed he fell because he was unwell and was simply unlucky to have landed in the hole.
A spokesman for the Bahrain Pipeline Construction Company (BPCC) said the company was not liable to pay compensation and claimed its “fast actions” prevented more serious injuries.
Suram Sathyam, 29, from India, is now in the Intensive Care Unit of Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) where he is receiving treatment for severe head and spine injuries.
The GDN reported on Wednesday that BPCC faces prosecution for alleged negligence as a result of the accident, which happened in Barbar last Monday.
Labour Ministry occupational health and safety head Ali Abdulla Makki accused the firm of failing to supervise construction activities and not providing the necessary safety equipment and safeguards.
However, BPCC personnel manager Isa Abdulla Redha yesterday claimed his company was not responsible.
“We followed all procedures,” he claimed.
“The worker was probably unwell – he collapsed due to the heat and fell in the hole.
“We probably saved him from even more injury by pulling him out immediately.”
Mr Redha added the company depended on a manpower supplier to provide workers and would not offer compensation.
“He is not our employee,” he said. “His employer should pay him compensation.”
But Mr Makki yesterday reiterated his allegation and said the BPCC would face prosecution because the accident happened at one of its worksites. “We are not concerned where the worker came from – whether he was supplied by a manpower agency or had been hired by the contractor is not an issue,” he said.
“What we are concerned with is that he was hurt at a construction site of BPCC.”
Mr Maki said there was reasonable evidence to prove proper security procedures were not in place at the site. “To prevent an accident is primarily the responsibility of the contracting company and in our opinion, we feel there was a lapse,” he added.
He said accusations that Mr Sathyam was working without a visa were for others to deal with, but added that BPCC had the option of taking manpower supplier Safrah to court if it wanted to.
“We (the ministry) shall deal only with BPCC,” stressed Mr Maki.
Meanwhile, Safrah manager Jay Chandran yesterday described Mr Sathyam as a “bona fide” employee of his company.
“He approached us for a job and his papers are being processed,” he said.
“Once that process is underway he cannot be called a fee-visa worker.”
Mr Chandran added his company would help Mr Sathyam in any way it could.
“He is recovering gradually and we are doing all we can to help,” he said.
“Under the law, he is entitled to compensation and other financial and medical help.”
Mr Sathyam, from Andhra Pradesh, was rescued after falling into the six-metre-deep pit being dug up to lay sewerage pipes. He was cleaning the covers of the pit with an air pressure hose after he finished work when he fell.
Labour Ministry officials who visited the site said earlier there should have been another cover beneath the one he was cleaning and there should have been a supervisor at the spot.
Mr Sathyam has been in Bahrain for the past two years and remarried after his first wife died.
He has a son from his first marriage and a daughter from his second.
mandeep@gdn.com.bh