Man crushed to death at Houston worksite by excavator
A worker was crushed to death on Monday by an excavator while working at the Guyana Shore Base Incorporated site at Houston, Greater Georgetown.
Dead is Royton Souvenir, 49, of Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
The victim was allegedly employed with a third-party contractor at the worksite.
The accident would have occurred after 13:00h in the full view of other employees. He was reportedly killed by the excavator, which was operating on a pontoon at the time.
The worksite at the Guyana Shore Base location where the accident occurred
Police stated that on the day in question, the now dead man was standing at the back of an excavator unknown to the operator. However, he turned the excavator and hit Souvenir to his chest and abdomen, causing him to fall to the ground.
The injured victim was picked up and taken to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
When Guyana Times visited the scene, eyewitnesses related that an ambulance arrived on site but they were told little of what had transpired. A few staffers who were still present refused to divulge any information with regards to the fatal accident.
Minister Hamilton has since stated that labour officials will be dispatched to the location to launch an investigation. Activities at the worksite have since come to a halt.
Guyana Shore Base Inc is a Guyanese company, focused on supporting the offshore oil and gas industry in Guyana.
In December, the Labour Minister had disclosed that some nine persons lost their lives as a result of workplace accidents within the course of five months. Seven of the deaths had occurred in the mining areas, while the remaining two happened on construction sites – one being at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
Later, Hamilton also announced that his Ministry would be pursuing a legislative agenda that will continue the amending process of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. He had explained that the amendments will cater to a number of new changes in the country’s economy such as the emerging oil and gas sector.
