Tragedy: Ten injured in industrial accident

At least four people were seriously injured and six others suffered minor injuries, in an accident that occurred at SteelRwa Industry in Rwamagana yesterday. A blast destroyed a furnace of the plant that recycles scrap metal to produce steel bars. The injured were moved to a local hospital, Police said. According to eye witnesses, the victims suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after being trapped in very hot metal flowing fluid. Casual workers at the industry were still in big panic by the time The Sunday Times visited the scene. Speaking on condition of anonimity, a worker at the factory said accidents were the order of the day and that they are never compensated. He said that most workers were filled with fear and only continued to work due to lack of alternatives. “These workers were burnt seriously by the hot liquid…most of them won’t be back here at work. And I can assure you that none of them will be compensated. They will only receive treatment.” “Recently, a worker lost a finger…no one cared; he was instead expelled from work. Several other workers were injured in the past, but none has been compensated. In such circumstances, one wonders. Whether we have any insurance as claimed by our employers,” he said. The factory employs over 270 workers both on permanent and temporary terms. Mohd Zaheeruddin, the general manager, confirmed the accident, saying the injured would be catered for. He however refuted claims by the workers that they worked under dangerous conditions without any insurance. “We have Group Accident Insurance Policy for such cases…it is not true that we don’t guarantee workers’ safety. The injured are treated and fed, until they are discharged from hospitals,” he said. “You know this is a heavy industry prone to accidents…but the presence of fire extinguishers reduces the risks. What happened was simple, just human error causing minor burns on workers’ bodies,” he added. SteelRWA started operations in 2011. It has a production capacity of 36,000 tons annually, which allows it to cover 80 per cent of the national market of steel bars.