It’s been a month since the tragic accident on the main dock which killed two employees of Peter E. Reid Stevedoring and the investigation is ongoing.
On April 10th, the men, both citizens of the Philippines, were working on one of the stevedore’s container haulers when there was an explosion. One employee was killed at the scene while the other died later at LBJ Hospital. Two other employees survived the tragedy.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency leading the investigation into the events of the two deaths. However, the investigation team has been unable to travel here because the borders are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because the incident occurred on the main dock, which is a Coast Guard regulated facility, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in American Samoa has assisted OSHA with conducting interviews, collecting evidence and photos of the scene.
This is according to the head of the Coast Guard unit Lt. Creighton Chong.
He told KHJ News the Coast Guard received the report of the incident from the ASG Port Administration.
“We conducted a preliminary investigation of the location and initial events and determined the incident fell under the investigative authority and jurisdiction of OSHA. The OSHA office in Hawai’i is conducting the investigation.”
Responding to questions, Lt. Chong said, “While the exact details of the casualties are still under investigation, the Coast Guard’s findings of facts can confirm that one individual was declared deceased at the scene by an attending medical physician and one individual later was declared deceased that evening at the LBJ Hospital.”
Asked to explain the Coast Guard’s findings so far, Lt. Chong said, “The causal factors of the incident are still under investigation by OSHA.”
Lt. Chong said, “Our condolences are with the families of the individuals who died or were injured as a result of this mishap. There are many hazards associated with working in the maritime transportation industry. These individuals worked in an environment with inherent personal safety risks to provide for their families.”
