Teen worker dies in five-storey fall at Phuket hotel construction site

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Teen worker dies in five-storey fall at Phuket hotel construction site
Phuket Gazette


Sarawut Kumwong, 17, died after falling from the fifth floor of the seven-storey hotel under construction in Phuket Town. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Sarawut Kumwong, 17, died yesterday afternoon after falling from the fifth floor of a seven-storey hotel under construction in Phuket Town.

Mr Sarawut’s employer, Ekkapong Jiasakul, told police that Mr Sarawuth was being handed pieces of timber by Komkrit Jantorarat, 15, when he fell.

“We do not know what happened exactly. He might have slipped while reaching for the items,” Mr Ekkapong said.

Mr Sarawut died at the scene from the impact, Capt Weerachart Seehara of the Phuket City Police told the Phuket Gazette.

“Witnesses reported that he struck objects on the second floor before landing on the ground,” he said.

Mr Sarawut’s body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Police will continue to investigate the cause of the accident, Capt Weerachart said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Teen-worker-dies-fivestorey-fall-Phuket-hotel/29387#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-05-09

[Local Drunk]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

[White Christmas13]

Safety Harness?

[LivinginKata]

This is what happens when poor to no safety regulations. 17 year old and a 15 year old working at height.

[stoneyboy]

This is what happens when poor to no safety regulations. 17 year old and a 15 year old working at height.

Yes we all moan about the red tape and over cautiousness in the west but this only highlights the reason for safety officers and safety regulations on construction sites etc.

The amount of times I've been pulled by the safety man offshore for minor issues like leaving a grinder plugged in at tea break or not having double ear protection etc,when you sit back and think about it ok the guy is a right royal pain in the arse,but he only wants to make sure everyone goes home safe at the end of the trip.

This poor lads family won't be seeing him again,no one should die in the workplace anywhere anytime in the world.

Tragic.

[lee b]

Safety Harness?

This would be too much to ask for, many dont even have safety boots. The hardhats are lost as they use them for motorcycle crash helmets as well... Most sites i have been on have little or even no H&S standards.

[kuiburi]

Safety Harness?

Get real , this is Thailand .

A decent harness costs several hundreds of euro's , the workers can't afford them and the contractor's will not provide them .

Often I see here in Europe that harnesses with an expired date just end in the garbage .

Wished I could bring them to Thailand and give them to construction workers here , but then again customs will bite u in the ass .

[Phoenix1312]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

[belg]

safety equipment and thailand, does not go together... just look at all the thai parents not wanting their children to wear seatbelts ...

17 & 15 are legal in this country?

[johnlandy]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

Don't put the blame / responsibility on the kid.

And the coppers will (if they do anything) do a whitewash investigation and the outcome will be meaningless.

Another reason that the realm will not become a 3rd world country in the next millennium.

Plus having the cops do it is like getting a heart transplant done by a hospital porter.

[ClutchClark]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

Yours is a very ethnocentric Western view.

Here is a 3rd World view:

I am a young kid being exploited in the trades. I need to work so that I can help support my family. I do not know about safety harnesses and fall protection devices because no one in this country uses them and my boss has never told us about them. Even if I knew of such devices and requested my employer supply one, he would laugh and say get to work or your fired. Even if I were to spend 2 weeks wages and buy a harness, there are no tie off locations on the building and the boss would fire me for taking too much time trying to be safe.

I am an apprentice and unlike the West, where an apprenticeship program exists that encourages mentorship by journeyman, over here my more experienced workers just instruct me on shortcuts I can take to get the job done faster. Also my more experienced co-workers stick me and other new, inexperienced hands with the toughest and most risky jobs.

So I go to work and I am very proud to have a job and provide for my parents and have spending money for my girlfriend and I place my life at risk every day. There are no labor laws, no safety standards, no regulatory agencies, no worker rights.

I would say RIP young man but that doesn't do anything for the painful death you just experienced or for the loss your family will feel forever.

THE BLOOD OF THE POOR IS MONEY.

[Jonmarleesco]

'The cause of the accident' was undoubtedly lax safety standards, and lax attention to what standards there were. As is ever the case with Thai construction sites.

[Benmart]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

There are many laws and lax enforcement. Project Safety Officers seem to be absent if they are on site at all from my experience.

[Benmart]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

The Ministry of Labour, Department of Labour Protection and Welfare exists and there are laws. Unfortunately, as with many other laws, they are not enforced. Edited May 9, 2014 by Benmart

[ClutchClark]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

The Ministry of Labour, Department of Labour Protection and Welfare exists and there are laws. Unfortunately, as with many other laws, they are not enforced.

Explain the difference to the dead young man and his family.

Unenforced laws are the same thing as no laws when you're the guy putting your life on the line for a paycheck.

[soalbundy]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

There are many laws and lax enforcement. Project Safety Officers seem to be absent if they are on site at all from my experience.

If there is no enforcement it's the same as having no laws, look at the road deaths.

[Local Drunk]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

Yours is a very ethnocentric Western view.

Here is a 3rd World view:

I am a young kid being exploited in the trades. I need to work so that I can help support my family. I do not know about safety harnesses and fall protection devices because no one in this country uses them and my boss has never told us about them. Even if I knew of such devices and requested my employer supply one, he would laugh and say get to work or your fired. Even if I were to spend 2 weeks wages and buy a harness, there are no tie off locations on the building and the boss would fire me for taking too much time trying to be safe.

I am an apprentice and unlike the West, where an apprenticeship program exists that encourages mentorship by journeyman, over here my more experienced workers just instruct me on shortcuts I can take to get the job done faster. Also my more experienced co-workers stick me and other new, inexperienced hands with the toughest and most risky jobs.

So I go to work and I am very proud to have a job and provide for my parents and have spending money for my girlfriend and I place my life at risk every day. There are no labor laws, no safety standards, no regulatory agencies, no worker rights.

I would say RIP young man but that doesn't do anything for the painful death you just experienced or for the loss your family will feel forever.

THE BLOOD OF THE POOR IS MONEY.

It's not at all about which world you happen to live in. I posted about the feelings that any 17 year old anywhere in the world would have. Please don't respond to my posts with such crude self righteousness. Don't attack me M8, I've been in that kid's shoes.

[Aussieroaming]

Safety harness b,<deleted>.

That lad wasn't 17 and thinking he was bullet proof. He was 17 and working in an unsafe environment. His boss should hang his head in total shame if he never provided the right safety culture. That's being gentle.

In reality his boss should be in jail for murdering an employee if he didn't provide the right safety systems and equipment. I have seen this a million times working is Asia and it sickens me....safety isn't that expensive to implement

Shame shame shame

[PETERTHEEATER]

Was there a sign out front of the site with a large green cruciform symbol and the legend 'Safety First'?

[Calimotty]

Safety Harness?

Get real , this is Thailand .

A decent harness costs several hundreds of euro's , the workers can't afford them and the contractor's will not provide them .

Often I see here in Europe that harnesses with an expired date just end in the garbage .

Wished I could bring them to Thailand and give them to construction workers here , but then again customs will bite u in the ass .

IF you managed to bring the harnesses into Thailand? They would more than likely be used in short time rooms and not on construction sites.

[Calimotty]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

Recommendations to the family and friends.

Get a good lawyer and sue the owners ass off.

1/ That scaff is not legally constructed.

2/ The other 99? Well take your pick.

[ClutchClark]

Poor kid... We're invincible, untouchable and we can do anything at that age, except...

Condolences to the family and friends.

Yours is a very ethnocentric Western view.

Here is a 3rd World view:

I am a young kid being exploited in the trades. I need to work so that I can help support my family. I do not know about safety harnesses and fall protection devices because no one in this country uses them and my boss has never told us about them. Even if I knew of such devices and requested my employer supply one, he would laugh and say get to work or your fired. Even if I were to spend 2 weeks wages and buy a harness, there are no tie off locations on the building and the boss would fire me for taking too much time trying to be safe.

I am an apprentice and unlike the West, where an apprenticeship program exists that encourages mentorship by journeyman, over here my more experienced workers just instruct me on shortcuts I can take to get the job done faster. Also my more experienced co-workers stick me and other new, inexperienced hands with the toughest and most risky jobs.

So I go to work and I am very proud to have a job and provide for my parents and have spending money for my girlfriend and I place my life at risk every day. There are no labor laws, no safety standards, no regulatory agencies, no worker rights.

I would say RIP young man but that doesn't do anything for the painful death you just experienced or for the loss your family will feel forever.

THE BLOOD OF THE POOR IS MONEY.

It's not at all about which world you happen to live in. I posted about the feelings that any 17 year old anywhere in the world would have. Please don't respond to my posts with such crude self righteousness. Don't attack me M8, I've been in that kid's shoes.

I am not allowed to respond to your posts because you misinterpret my tone? And you grew up working construction? Its all about what country you live in M8. Its all about the ability of an employer to exploit you. This death was not about being a 17-year old who "knows no fear" and breaks the safety rules of his employer. Its about a country that has no safety culture .

Edited May 9, 2014 by ClutchClark

[heybuz]

my condolences to the boys family, fifty years ago when i was an apprentice the safety standards in my country of birth were non existent also and construction was the biggest killer of workers in the country,at the age of fifteen i was earning the equivalent of 60 baht a day,first year apprentice. is thailand 50years behind the rest of the world and just needs time to catch up.or will it never. just an afterthought labourers had to be 18 years of age apprentices were exempt from the age restriction.

Edited May 9, 2014 by heybuz

[socksy01]

Health and safety laws don't exist. In this country. Feel very sad for such a young life now ended

And unlikely at that age to be even receiving the alleged minimum wage. Poor guy and what about the 15 year old who likely witnessed it?

[Nepse]

In Phuket some years ago, they had so many bodies of workers mostly from Myanmar who died on construction field and nobody would ask for them that, not wanting to pay for their cremation, they just dampted them in a big commun hole in the center of the island. the smell was so unbearable that people srarted to complain and that´s how the story came out on the newspaper.

[tubby johnson]

Strange that this particular death is reported by the media. Construction fatalities occur daily across Thailand. Workers are expendable and easily replaced, all for a pittance, below minimum wage.

Safety training prior to starting work? Hard hats? Boots? Safety harness? Never in Thailand. Quick, low-cost construction is the government's sole focus.