Mom of engineer killed in iron plant mishap: 'Better God take my boy'

WHEN Shirley Mansingh saw the condition of her son Rossi Mansingh as he lay on a bed in hospital – hours after being burnt during an accident at his workplace – she prayed and told God: "Is best you take my boy."

Rossi died at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) on Monday night, four days after the mishap at the former Arcelor Mittal plant in the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate in Couva. The Arcelor Mittal plant was fully acquired last year by a local entity called, TT Iron Steel Co Ltd.

Rossi, who worked with Arcelor Mittal, was retained by TT Iron Steel Co Ltd to work on rehabilitating the plant for it to be reopened.

Speaking at the family home in Gowers Wells Road, Fyzabad on Wednesday, Shirley said her son sustained second degree burns to 50 per cent of his body – from his head down to his waist.

There are three primary types of burns: first, second, and third-degree. Each degree is based on the severity of damage to the body, with first-degree being the most minor and third-degree, the most most severe.

A PERFECT SON

“He was the perfect son,” Shirley said. Rossi was one of two children for his parents Dave and Shirley Mansingh, with the other being his sister Kelly.

“He was a wonderful child. Kelly would always tell me, ‘look, look at your perfect son.’ God gave me the perfect child, with ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes.

"While I was in the intensive care unit with him, I prayed to God saying, if he had to survive but end up in a vegetative state for the rest of his life, it's better God take him. It's better God take my boy, because I knew Rossi would not want to live in that condition,” Shirley said.

Rossi, 39, was married three years ago to Parvani Rooplal who was not at home at the time of Newsday's visit. She was said to be at SFGH awaiting the results of the autopsy.

Although Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie assured Newsday on Wednesday that the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) had started an investigation into the deadly incident, Shirley said she is still unaware of the actual circumstances surrounding the electrical fire which led to her son's death.

“Everybody spoke about him being such a quiet child, and that is why his death is so shocking...the way it happened.”

She said he left home last Thursday between 7-7.15 am. She said that around noon, the family got a call that he was involved in an incident.

She claimed her son was placed in a private vehicle and taken to hospital, where he walked out of the car and into the building.

“We can’t get closure because we are not hearing what actually happened. He spoke to his wife (at hospital) before the initial shock set in and they had to administer the most potent drugs in order to sedate him. He was in so much pain.

“After that, he was not the Rossi we knew and loved. He was heavily sedated. He could not speak. I don’t know if he even able to hear us. He was just on machines.

“We were waiting for him to recover and talk to us and tell us what happened.”

OSHA NOT

RESPONSIBLE

An autopsy was done at the mortuary, but the cause of death was not shared by the family.

When contacted for comment on Wednesday, the labour minister said while OSHA is a regulatory body tasked with enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the agency’s role is largely that of enforcement.

“The creation and or maintenance of safety systems is the responsibility of the employer," Mc Clashie said.

“OSHA does not have responsibility in the workplace. If somebody does something at the plant that results in injury or death, under the OSH Act, the company has to empower the OSH Authority as soon as something like that happens.

“Normally in an hour or two, the authority is on the site and they secure and preserve the site, start an investigation and if people are found wanting, then the agency can bring charges against them in the Industrial Court.

“What I am trying to get at, is that safety begins with you (the employer) at the level of your organisation, where people need to be briefed, to understand the job, the hazards associated (with the job) and they need to be given the tools and PPE (personal protective equipment) in order to carry out the job safely.

“But OSHA or any other government agency is not really responsible or accountable for the safety of people at the site,” Mc Clashie said. He dismissed the notion that if OSHA is more visible at plants, such incidents may be prevented.

Mc Clashie said OSHA provides regulations and guidelines but it is up to the authorities at plants to ensure these regulations and guidelines are followed by all workers.

“With respect to the issue at the former Arcelor Mittal plant, the OSH Agency is already on site. They would have cordoned it off, to ensure the site is preserved and would have started their investigations.”

He said the inspector would submit a report to the chief labour inspector who would then review it and determine what action should be taken.