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Four employees of a construction company – a site manager, a civil engineer, a supervisor and a safety officer – are on trial for alleged negligence that led to a fatal work accident while laying pipes during a sewage network extension project.
In December 2023, a trench collapsed on a 31-year-old Indian worker while he was in it, crushing him and causing severe internal bleeding, which resulted in his death, the court heard.
The four Indian construction overseers are on trial at the High Criminal Court after the case was transferred from the Lower Criminal Court following recent amendments to criminal law.
They were charged with wrongful death of a labourer, failure to ensure worker safety and neglecting to instal barriers to restrict access to hazardous areas on the construction site.
A 44-year-old site manager – the first defendant – was also charged with not following all required health and safety codes aimed at protecting workers from risks associated with excavation, including cave-ins.
The workers were on a site in Sitra to execute an Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) contract to extend the sewage network, in order to support new construction and homes in the area.
According to a Labour Ministry report about the accident, the trench was 2.8m deep and 1.8m wide, but its sides were not supported to prevent a cave-in.
The report indicated that the victim was adjusting geotextile fabric along the tunnel wall when the structure collapsed on him, as workers were levelling the ground above. During a visit, ministry inspectors found signs of a landslide on the site, and noted that a great amount of soil and sand fell on the man.
Another report, written by a safety officer, declared the Indian’s death as a direct consequence of his job.
“The worker’s death is considered occupational as he died during – and because of – the labour,” read the report.
“He was trapped under the sand because safety protocols and codes were not followed.
“Not all measures to prevent a collapse were taken, especially when it comes to providing trench boxes to hold the walls up, or conducting a gradual excavation suitable to the type of soil on the site.
“Furthermore, labourers were allowed to work in the trench even though it did not have the right safety equipment, and precautions to bar them from entering dangerous zones were not taken.”
Immediately after the collapse, the victim was taken to Sitra Health Centre, where doctors tried in vain to revive him.
“The patient was brought to the hospital without a heartbeat,” the doctor who was in charge of his case said.
“We tried to resuscitate him for an hour, but he was not responsive.”
An autopsy reported that the victim suffered physical trauma to the chest, which led to internal bleeding and tears in internal tissue, though no foul play or criminal intent was suspected.
The four suspects denied charges, but each testified in length and detail about the accident, stating that they were working based on a health and safety plan approved by the site manager.
Court documents state that the soil was evaluated as ‘Type A’, which is the most stable category of soil, and requires less gradual excavation, as it is less prone to ‘slumping’. The lack of supports installed in the trench was attributed to complacency, caused by the soil categorisation.
The court set February 10 as the date to issue a verdict in the case.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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