Two workers drowned yesterday after a part of a pier at a Brazilian oil terminal operated by Petrobras collapsed and the scaffolding they were tied to slipped into the sea, Brazil’s union of petroleum workers reports.
The workers identified as Alex Vieira Ribeiro (39), and OseiasDamascenoSoares (27), were erecting the scaffolding at Transpetro’s Barra do Riacho Terminal in the city of Aracruz, Espirito Santo, when the concrete at the pier collapsed and the scaffolding slipped into the sea.
The dead bodies of the two workers were pulled out of the water, reportedly by their colleagues, with emergency crews arriving to the scene a whole one hour later, according to the union representative FUP.
The workers tied themselves to the scaffolding with safety belts, even though the work authorizations recommended the use of life jackets only.
Both men worked for Transpetro’s contractor – EspiralEngenharia. Transpetro has instituted an investigation into the accident.
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