Half-tonne pillar crushed labourer

The worker who was killed in a construction accident at the New York University campus on Saadiyat Island last month was hit by a falling beam.

ABU DHABI // A labourer who was killed at the New York University construction site on Saadiyat Island last month was crushed by an improperly installed column.

Saiful Islam, 31, of Bangladesh, died after the half-tonne beam struck him and not by falling, as was initially reported.

The cause of death was detailed in the incident investigation report released by Abu Dhabi Municipality.

Mubadala, the project's developer, said work at the site was shut down in December while the inquiry was launched.

A Mubadala spokesman said: "The health and safety of all staff continues to be of the utmost importance to Mubadala and its partners. We are working with our partners to provide as much support to the family of the deceased as possible."

The cause of the accident is listed in the report as "unsafe standing of worker who erected the beam" and "not clear instructions from the supervisor".

The lack of supervision and a lack of knowledge of proper procedure were also cited as factors.

Islam was a subcontractor who worked for AASA Middle East Contracting.

The municipality report states that the supervisor meant to be overseeing the installation of the column was not working at the time of the accident, at 9.50am on December 16. The report did not reveal whether the main contractor, Al Futtaim Carillion, was fined.

The report says that training for safe installation and a revision of the temporary column procedures are necessary.

The municipality also ordered the contractor to provide clear instructions to workers and to draft a specific risk assessment for installing pillars.

A "pre-task briefing" to be conducted by an on-site supervisor will be required before more column work can continue.

Construction resumed earlier this month and the NYU-Abu Dhabi campus is scheduled to open in 2014.