NiQuan Energy Trinidad Limited has seemingly placed some of the responsibility for the death of 35-year-old Allanlane Ramkissoon, on his employers, Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Limited (MEES).
In a full page ad by NiQuan, the company stated: “Massy is the professional engineering and maintenance contractor engaged by NiQuan under a long-term Master Services Agreement pursuant to which Massy provides all qualified professional maintenance, engineering and related services for the GTL Plant.
“The initial injury to Mr Ramkissoon was sustained while he was carrying out permitted-to-work preparations for routine planned maintenance works at the Plant. The Plant was not running at the time except for production of steam,” NiQuan said in an advertisement published in today’s newspapers.
It noted that the incident occurred “when the plant was out of production resulting from a permit to work for preparatory works of purging and cleaning the piping prior to implementing a Management of Change in preparation for certain piping modification to increase production efficiencies” and was unrelated to the April 2022 explosion.
On June 15, Ramkissoon, a pipe-fitter employed at MEES, suffered severe burn injuries while conducting preparatory work for planned maintenance works on the plant. He was first taken to West Shore hospital where he underwent surgery to stabilise his condition before being flown to a burn facility in Colombia. He passed away, two days later, on June 18.
Since then, NiQuan has been hit with a prohibition order from The Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) which stops operations at the Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant in Pointe-a-Pierre and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The company said that while they extend condolences to Ramkissoon’s family, he was an employee of MEES “engaged directly under a contract of services with Massy.”
NiQuan said following the incident it ceased all work permits for the Plant “to allow a period for the Maintenance, Engineering and Plant Operations teams, along with all other staff and contractors to grieve, egroup, attend EAP sessions, and be fully fit for resumption of plant operations.”
NiQuan said that after the incident, it engaged an external and independent Root Cause Analysis (“RCA”) expert: Mr Edward R Brathwaite, Director and Principal Consultant at Incredible Safety Services Limited.
“This RCA is a joint exercise with Massy. Meanwhile, both companies are working together with the regulatory bodies in full compliance and transparency in support of investigations being carried out by the regulatory authorities,” it said.
The company also made it clear that the entire plant was not shut down, just the unit where the accident took place.
In its statement, NiQuan made public the content of the prohibition letter it received from OSHA dated June 21, 2023.
The letter said: “A suitable safe system of work was not employed for the works that was, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health. I am of the opinion that if these works are allowed to continue without reviewing the systems of work being utilised and ensuring the implementation of suitable measures to prevent recurrences of this nature, persons will be exposed to the risk of serious bodily injury/or death. In light of the above, I hereby prohibit all activities associated with the reworks line (purging and steaming) with immediate effect, (unless such access is to remedy the issue) until the existing danger is removed and you have complied with the OSH Act.”
NiQuan said it has reviewed the systems of work and has already implemented the enhancements and measures which will prevent recurrence of an incident of this nature.
In addition, it is assisting the MEEI with their investigation of the incident.
It noted that both MEES and NiQuan were visited by an Acting Inspector of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service “and it was explained to him that there was no reasonable cause to believe that any criminal act had been committed. The officer noted that the matter involved an industrial accident.”
“We must all allow the regulatory bodies and independent RCA expert to complete their investigations,” the company said.
NiQuan said after the explosion, it conducted a full Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP) of the plant and implemented all of the changes before restart. In addition, all OSHA, MEEI and independent Root Cause Analysis Report recommendations were also fully implemented. It said that a step-by-step basis “were independently verified and recommended for approval by the Certified Verification Agent (“CVA”) acting as the agent of the Ministry of Energy. This resulted in approval being granted to restart the plant.
NiQuan said an investigation into the second incident was underway to determine the root cause with lessons learned to be implemented. “Our Company operates in accordance with the highest local and international industry best practices and standards of safety. We are openly and transparently cooperating with the regulatory bodies conducting investigations,” it said.