THis family from one of three Bechtel’s employees who died from an accident on April 29 in a LNG project in Port Arthur, Texas has accused the contractor of violating the order of a state court judge not to change the project’s place in the days following the accident while continuing investigations.
Bechtel’s lawyers were in contact with family lawyers about the contractor’s intention to remove the apparatus from a crane working on the project, but family lawyers claimed that the company should have expected.
As a result of the accident, three workers on the site fell approximately 65 to 85 feet in “a tank jumping system incident” after a layer of scaffolding connected to a concrete tank fail. The deposit is built in an export terminal of Port Arthur LNG for the SemPra infrastructure based in San Diego.
In his motion in the State Court of Jefferson County, Reginald Magee’s family lawyers published several new photos of the place that had not been made public. The May 5 movement included images of a crane that family lawyers claimed in a lawsuit against Bechtel could play a role in the tragedy.
In a photo, a mobile crane has positioned its rise on the tank formation system and the work surface where there was a crew. The surface of the work apparently gave way to one end suddenly, sending workers to a free fall.
Until this motion was filed, only television news images of the tilt system work area were available. The movement with the photos was published on the Internet for the Fox 4 television station in Beaumont, Texas.
The crane, which was used to build the tank at the Port Arthur terminal, was broken with a distributor bar and lines that were hit down. It is not clear exactly what the crane was supported in the form of jumping.
The Magee family lawyer accused Bechtel of having demolished the crane apparatus without what the lawyer claims to be adequate notification or judicial approval, in violation of a previously issued containment order.
The way the contractor responded to the motion and his accusation is unclear. Bechtel officials could not immediately go to comment and not the Magee family solicitor. ENR so far has not reviewed the rest of the lawsuit or another demand related to the defendants themselves in the State Court of Harris County.
The distributor bar and the cables above the surface of the tank training system, with red notes prepared by Bechtel’s lawyer, indicating the lawyer and the plaintiff court where a cut as a distributor bar and cables and apparatus will be made. Source: Presentation of the Texas Court.
At the presentation of the court, the photos of the accident site showed new views of the work platform and the crane before and after the removal of the apparatus.
Felix Jose Lopez, 42, and Felipe Mendez, 25, declared themselves dead at the scene. Magee, 41, He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
Two other workers injured in the accident were treated and they are expected to be completely recovered, according to authorities.
Bechtel photo showing the bar of the apparatus and the distributor still stuck to the crane. Source: Presentation of the Texas Court.
It The Health and Safety Administration in the United States researches.
“Not all employees disembarked on the ground. Two of them were able to keep up to date, but all wounds suffered,” said Captain Crystal Holmes from Jefferson’s Sheriff’s Office, who also investigates the accident.
Bechtel, who works under an EPC contract, said in a statement shortly after the accident that he fully collaborates with the local authorities as the investigations continue and the company performs “our own internal review”.
“There are no suitable words to express the loss of three of our colleagues,” said Bechtel’s President and CEO, Brendan Bechtel and the COO Craig Albert, in a note to all employees on the accident.
Bechtel briefly paused the project and similar tank work on two other projects, but did not identify his names or locations.
