The National Farmers Union has called for an investigation into the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s compliance with Occupational Health and Safety requirements.
This, after an employee was seriously injured at the FSC Lautoka Mill on Wednesday.
In a statement, NFU general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry said the worker was trapped in a conveyor belt which had to be cut to set him loose.
“Safety at FSC mills has been an ongoing issue with accidents even resulting in deaths,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“FSC did not call an ambulance or medical assistance when the accident took place,” he claimed.
“After freeing the worker from the conveyor belt, which took 45 minutes, they dumped him in the back of a twin cab and drove him to the hospital in a state of extreme discomfort.
“This is outrageous. Is this how the corporation treats its workers with no sympathy for their comfort and well-being even after an accident?”
He said he was appalled that FSC management showed such disregard for the comfort of a worker injured at the workplace.
“NFU wants the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into all aspects of safety at the mills and FSC’s compliance with OHS requirements. There should be safety guards on the machines to prevent workers falling in.
“Employees have often expressed concern that OHS inspections are not up to standard.”
In a statement, FSC confirmed the incident and the worker transferred to the Lautoka Hospital for treatment.
A 36-hour mill operation stoppage was imposed by FSC for investigations to be carried out.
