A supervisor at an interior design firm is accused of causing the wrongful death of a cleaner who fell through the roof of a three‑storey building in Hamad Town.
The Bangladeshi man has been charged with the manslaughter of Mohamed Bilal Nawab, a 24‑year‑old expatriate labourer.
He was also charged with failing to train the worker in occupational safety, not informing him of the risks of the job and the measures he must take to protect himself.
The High Criminal Court heard that the defendant’s company had been contracted to carry out maintenance work at a dentistry clinic in Hamad Town.
The court was told that the company was performing maintenance on the rooftop, and that the victim, who was paid BD10 per day to clean alongside the firm, was not an formal employee.
On November 18, Mr Nawab fell from the corrugated metal roof (colloquially known as ‘chinko’) three storeys above the ground.
He reportedly sustained severe facial fractures and was rushed to hospital, where his condition quickly worsened and he succumbed to his injuries.
After investigating the incident, inspecting the site and interviewing witnesses, the Labour Ministry declared the death as occupational, since ‘it occurred during and because of the job’.
“The company should be held responsible for the death,” concluded the technical report issued by the ministry’s Occupational Safety Department.
“The victim fell from a height while working on a roof made of sheet metal. He was cleaning the roof for a daily wage of BD10,” it read.
“The company had been asked to repaint the interior and exterior of the complex, to maintain the roof and paint it with waterproof coating to prevent leakage.”
Interviewed as part of the report was the supervisor, who claimed that Mr Nawab was acting of his own accord when the fatal fall took place.
“The victim went up on his own without being asked to,” the supervisor claimed.
“We went downstairs to fetch the required equipment for the labourer – a safety helmet, safety harness and work shoes – but he fell through before we returned. He was bleeding from the head.”
Labour Ministry inspectors documented several violations that contributed to the workplace death, including the failure to educate the worker about the dangers of working on a corrugated rooftop, given that he was ‘just a cleaner’.
It also noted that he was not provided with protective gear to safeguard him from accidents, in violation of occupational health and safety regulations.
Judges have set April 14 as the date to issue a verdict in the case.
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