VIDEO: International construction firm under fire

Dar es Salaam. The Occupational Safety and Health Authority (Osha) is investigating a foreign construction firm for laxity that caused serious injuries to one of its workers at a Terminal 3 building site at Julius Nyerere International Airport.

BAM International, the operating company of Royal BAM Group, one of Europe’s largest contracting companies, and which is constructing Terminal 3, is accused of failing to adhere to safety regulations and causing an accident.

On September 7, a truck driver was seriously injured after he suffered an electric shock at the Terminal 3 construction site. Sources say workers have been complaining to BAM management in vain about live, lose electric cables at the site.

Airport Police Commander Martin Otieno confirmed the accident, saying Mr Habibu Halidi Mallya, 32, had burns in several places of his body, including on the legs.

“He was badly injured on the legs and on the back,” Mr Otieno added. Mr Mallya was admitted to Muhimibili National Hospital.

When The Citizen contacted Osha for comments more than 48 hours after the incident had taken place, the authority said BAM had not reported the incident within 24 hours as required by the construction safety regulations and that investigation had commenced.

“I am aware that Osha has launched investigation to prove whether the allegations leveled against BAM are true,” an official, who declined to mention his name on grounds that he was not the spokesperson of Osha noted.

Osha Public Relations Manager Eleuter Mbilinyi confirmed to The Citizen, when he was reached for comments, that investigation had been initiated, adding that the authority would be in a position to offer details when the inquiry was complete.

“We will give you details once the investigation is completed,” he said.

A video clip of the incident captured by one of the workers of BAM shows Mr Mallya agonising in pain being carried away by colleagues to a double cabin pickup stationed near the scene of the accident. The victim can be heard crying in agony, while voices tell him to lay down. He is seen being put in the second cabin of the pickup. Sources from the site said the car was the one used to take the victim to hospital and without being provided with any first aid service.

Sources further claim that there was an ambulance on the site with paramedics. The BAM management was reached to explain why the ambulance was not used.

BAM International Director Area for Africa Eric van Zuthem, who confirmed that the accident had taken place, declined to give details asking The Citizen to wait until the company investigates what had happened.

“I do not have all details. Please, wait until we conduct our own internal investigation on the accident.”

He, however, denied that the incident was not reported to Osha, saying it was. He also confirmed that the victim was admitted to Muhimbili National Hospital and was doing fine.

Sources say the construction firm has not, before the accident, taken any safety precautions or put spotters that enable workers to avoid danger at the site.

“The way the victim was handled, from being taken from the accident scene to the pickup, to sending him to hospital, was like handling a rag doll,” the source said.

BAM has carried out several construction projects at the JNIA. It rehabilitated the runways and taxiways in 2016. The company has also had road construction projects in the country in the past.

BAM won the tender to construct Terminal 3 in 2013 at €100 million (Sh270 billion) partially financed by the government of Tanzania and ORET Fund from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once completed Terminal 3, which covers 70,000 square metres, will be able to accommodate more than six million passengers annually.