Police investigate tannery deaths
Brazilian civil police have opened an enquiry into a serious accident at a tannery in Sidrolândia, a district of the city of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, which killed three people and injured a further 13 — two of which are still in a critical condition in hospital.
The accident happened on February 17 when an autoclave (equipment used to melt the fat in hides) exploded at Pantanal Industry and Commerce of Leather (Induspan Tannery), causing extensive damage to the company’s buildings and in particular to the office block.
An inspector for the Regional Labour and Employment Superintendency (SRTE) and a mechanic are currently carrying out investigations at the site, which are set to continue for up to three months, in order to establish more details about the possible cause of the accident and whether there was any negligence on the part of the company and if the autoclave operators were suitably qualified to operate the machinery. “We must find out if the accident was caused by negligence which would result in the prohibition for the tannery to continue operating," said the inspector.
According to reports, the fire brigade revealed that the inspection certificate for the equipment was not up to date, however, management at the tannery have ensured authorities that the equipment was checked by a mechanical engineer in compliance with the rules and deadlines stated by the law in November last year.
