In the last few hours, an operator who was carrying out maneuvers to avoid the drainage system collapse in the El Rodadero sector, in Santa Marta, he died after being sucked into an attached machine and falling into a sewer.
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The tragedy was greater, since a common citizen who tried to help him also lost control of his body and died in the same circumstance.
The work accident, which left two victims, has caused a stir in the city, where criticism is growing for the precarious conditions that presently presents the sewage system.
These were the victims
One of the dead was identified as Sofanor Antonio Morelos Vargas, 52, a subcontractor of the Public Services Company (Essmar).
The incident occurred at noon on Tuesday, when Morelos Vargas was with another colleague doing housework. manhole maintenance from the El Rodadero sector.
Jorge Mario Lizarazo Álvarez, head of the Office for Risk Management and Climate Change, reported that everything seems to indicate that an oversight or a bad operation of the sewage suction machine caused the fatal event.
His assistant tried to help Sofanor Morelos, who was being swallowed down the sewer. In his despair, she asked for the support of the people.
At that time, Eduardo David Acosta Jordan, 36, and dedicated to selling fish, was walking through the area and heeded the call.
His good intention ended up costing him his life, since his body also fell into the manhole and, together with the operator, was dragged several meters by the sewage.
The firefighters responded to the emergency and, in a quick rescue effort, they removed the bodies of the sewer.
They found that Sofanor Morelos had died almost immediately, while Eduardo Acosta died hours later in the clinic to which he was transferred.
It was his first day of work
Sintraemsdes Nacional, like the Santa Marta Subdirectorate, specified that Sofanor Morelos Vargas, who was completing his first day of work, had no experience and did not have a mask to protect him of gas inhalation.
The union organization said that it understands that it is an accident, but clarified that there are not a few cases in which workers in the home public services sector in the country are subjected to carrying out their work without the necessary security measures to guarantee their lives. .
In addition, they ordered the Superintendence of Public Services to review the personnel hiring processes carried out by the Special Agent, the current administrator and in charge of auditing Essmar ESP, to verify that duly trained people are used and to avoid violating the existing rules and protocols in terms of Health and Safety at Work.
According to the members of the Union Commission, so far the company has not responded to a list of demands, which includes the request to carry out an analysis of the risk and safety scenarios for workers.
The latter seeks that Essmar ESP recognize and guarantee workers the biosafety protocols and the supply of the technical equipment necessary for the work they carry out.
Mayor calls for investigation into work accident
The mayor of Santa Marta, Virna Johnson, requested an exhaustive investigation to determine the safety protocols at work that Essmar allegedly violated, intervened by Superservices.
According to Johnson, the Superservices must explain to Santa Marta, and asked the Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Prosecutor’s Office investigate these facts.
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Essmar regretted what happened
Yahaira Díaz Quesada, special agent of the Santa Marta District Public Services Company (ESSMAR ESP), lamented the death of Sofanor Morelos Vargas, whom she said was an operator of the Total Eco SAS contractor company and was working in the sewage networks with winch equipment.
In relation to the event that occurred, he indicated that Essmar is ready to provide the collaboration that is required by the authorities to facilitate the clarification of the facts.
“The Essmar family from all its mission areas extends its condolences to their family and friends. We raise our prayer that God grant them strength in this time of pain and absence, ”she stated in a press release.
The entity referred to the death of Eduardo Acosta Jordan, who, as confirmed, lost his life for acting voluntarily and moved by his good faith to help the person who was in danger.
Roger Urieles
For THE WEATHER Santa Marta
@rogeruv
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