Geologist dies after cave collapses at Troy’s Karouni operation
-mining operations suspended, probe underway
A geologist at Australianowned mining company Troy Resources died yesterday morning after a cave where he was working collapsed at its Karouni operation in Region Seven and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has been instructed to carry out a thorough investigation.
The dead man has been identified as Ryan Taylor, 33, a father of three, of Alberttown.
Troy Resources, in a statement yesterday, said that operations at its Karouni site have been temporarily suspended and that an investigation is to follow.
“Early indications are that the incident occurred at 2.25 am on the night shift where a geologist was standing above an excavated working face when the 3m embankment he was standing on collapsed and he suffered fatal injuries as a consequence,” the company said in its statement.
Managing Director at Troy Resources Ken Nilsson yesterday expressed condolences to Taylor’s family and pledged the company’s support in light of its loss.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news and our heartfelt and sincerest condolences go to the family, friends and colleagues of our employee… The Com-pany is in close contact with the family of the employee and is providing full support to their family at this time of loss,” Nilsson was quoted as saying.
He also noted that the company has always made “every effort to ensure the wellbeing of all of our people and this incident brings home the need for utmost vigilance in safety at all times.”
The statement noted that the company also intends “to bring a grief counsellor to help our employees cope with this tragic loss.”
The Ministry of Natural Resources yesterday morning said its initial reports revealed that Taylor was among miners working on the construction of a “bench” in a mining pit, when there was a slippage, which allegedly led to him falling and being covered by the rubble. (A “bench” refers to a path created for a machine to access a mining pit.)
Workers who were present rushed to Taylor’s aid immediately after the collapse and had to use shovels to remove the debris before being able to locate him.
Taylor’s body was pulled from the rubble at approximately 2.30 am and he was pronounced dead by the company’s doctor
after being examined around 4.30 am. His body is presently at the Lyken Funeral Parlour.
Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman has since instructed the GGMC to begin making the necessary preparations for a thorough investigation of Taylor’s death.
GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison yesterday told Stabroek News that a team comprising engineers and officers from the Department of Labour and the ministry is already at the operation site in Region Seven.
He stated that the team would have immediately started the investigation and is treating it with the greatest urgency. He would not put a timeline on completion of the investigation since he said he did not want to constrain the team from carrying out its work.
Trotman yesterday told Stabroek News that while the safety record “for large mining companies (Troy, Aurora, Bosai, Rusal and First Bauxite) is generally good where pit construction is concerned, this incident gives cause to look at the mishap carefully and determine as to why it occurred. The standards are expected to be higher, and their enforcements better.”
Trotman indicated that the investigation of Taylor “will be conducted as per law and practices by GGMC and it begins today. As to the scope, all aspects of the accident will be investigated.” The Ministry of Social Protection’s Occupational Health and Safety Department will also be included in the investigation.
“The Ministry continues to urge miners and companies to exercise extreme care when carrying out these operations. The Ministry further urges all involved in the sector to always be in compliance, to evade any risks and fatalities as the above,” the statement added further while expressing condolences to Taylor’s family.
At the home of Taylor, family members and friends were still trying to come to grips with his passing. His mother, June Taylor, said that she was in shock to learn of the death of her son.
She explained that he was due home tomorrow (Thursday) and the last time they spoke, was two Thursdays ago when he was home.
“My nephew come over and tell me to sit, that he got something to tell me. So I ask he is wha man and he said one of my boys reach up with accident in the interior. When I come over to Ryan house that is when they would tell me that Ryan dead,” the grieving mother related.
She told this newspaper that the family has met with representatives from Troy Resources.
“He was a loving child and father. He would go all out for his three children and he was working to make sure he and his children have a better life,” the mother related.
The People’s United and General Workers Union, in a statement yesterday, said that one death at the mine is too many. It noted that while Taylor was not a member of the union, his death highlights the importance of health and safety in the workplace. “This industrial death is even more [impactful] given the fact that last year the Union expressed concerns via engagement with the Occupation Health and Safety Department in the Ministry of Social Protection and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, about correcting perceived unsafe practices,” the union added.
It also noted that it had called for an investigation of the operation and management had refused to engage with it and their relationship remains strained at present. The union, which called for an inquest into Taylor’s death, said that the best that can be done to honour him is to ensure that no other employee suffers a similar fate and that all necessary measures are put in place to prevent a recurrence.