Tuesday, May 13 2008

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All falls down: Debris from the falling ceiling at the Land and Survey building on Wrightson Road, Port-of- Spain, remain on the floor. ...

THE sky fell for workers at the office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Survey Divison on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, when portions of the building’s ceiling fell.

Employees said they ran for their lives when the ceiling tiles came crashing down.

They said they felt a small vibration in the building at about 9 am, then heard a loud crashing noise. Parts of the ceiling gave way and caved in and fell on the ground below.

Luckily no one was injured, but the incident left employees in a state of panic as they gathered in the nearby carpark.

Dust and debris from the fallen ceiling sent some workers home early.

“It’s almost four years now we have been sharing our concerns with the supervisors about the building, and no one has taken us seriously. We are worried about our health and safety. Sometimes there is dust in the air which makes it difficult to breathe. Then there are even other more serious scenarios where the sewer is leaking and electrical plugs are sparking. They bring in contractors every time, but it seems that for every incident they repair, two more arise to take its place,” said one of the workers, who wished to remain anonymous.

The workers said health and safety officers have visited the office and told them that the building was unfit for occupancy.

They have also sought the assistance of their union - the National Union for Government and Federated Workers, in an attempt to get help.

“We do not have to work in these conditions. This is one of our rights. It is completely unsafe and dangerous and something needs to be done to assist us. Why should we have had to involve the media to get the necessary attention? It has been years now we are begging for help,” said one of the workers. They are demanding a new building in which to work safely. Attempts were made to contact the Director of Lands and Survey Department at the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday, but his telephone kept ringing unanswered for most of the day.