Operator crushed to death as crane topples at Peter’s Hall facility
A 34-year-old operator attached to the Tepui Group Incorporated on Thursday met his demise when the crane he was operating at a shorebase facility at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara toppled, and in the process crushed him to death.
Dead is Shawn Anthony Joseph, also known as Shawn DeSantos, of Number 76 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (Upper Corentyne-Berbice). His body was found pinned under the heavy-duty machine at Parker Street, Providence, East Bank Demerara at around 11:30h on Thursday.
Dead: Shawn Anthony Joseph
Police in a statement said that ranks visited the scene at about 12:00h, and investigations have revealed that at the time of the incident, the operator was alone in the Crane, fitted with a hammer to drive the concrete piles.
Police said the operator’s brothers: Devon DeSantos, a 43-year-old grounds man of Number 50 Village, Corentyne; and Nigel Bourne, a 34-year-old grounds man of Number 50 Village, Corentyne, and other workers were in close proximity to the scene of the accident. Investigations revealed that the Crane toppled on the wharf, which caused Shawn Joseph to jump out of the operating area of the Crane. He fell on the wharf, but was pinned under the Crane. EMTs who arrived at the scene pronounced the operator dead.
Owner of the Tepui Group, Mikhail Rodrigues, called ‘Guyanese Critic’, told Guyana Times that the operator was driving piles on the worksite when he experienced some “problems”.
The crane that toppled and pinned the operator
Rodrigues said that following the tragic incident, the Police and family members of the deceased were called to the scene. Rodrigues informed that the Tepui Group is providing all necessary support to the man’s family, and added that the Labour Ministry has been called in to conduct a thorough investigation.
Tepui Group Incorporated has been contracted to construct a US$5 million concrete production facility for Mohamed’s Enterprise. Upon completion, the facility would produce concrete pre-stressed piles with a length of up to 160 feet, and slabs for bridges and utility poles, besides offering a wide variety of construction services with its state-of-the-art equipment. This facility would be accessible by a wharf that is being constructed to facilitate the delivery of materials to any part of the coastland by water.
The project, which commenced earlier this year, was expected to be completed in September, but the contractor has secured a 4-month extension. (G12)
