Egypt construction worker dies after colleagues dump rubble on him

An Egyptian construction worker in Kuwait has been killed, allegedly after his colleagues dumped rubble and construction material over him by mistake, according to Gulf News.

The rubble was dropped onto him from the third floor with the co-workers stating they did not know he was standing by the building.

According to Gulf News, the contractor and site supervisor are currently under investigation.

In October this year, Egypt’s state-run Egypt Today reported that an Egyptian construction worker in Kuwait died after falling from scaffolding at a building near Al-Metlaa in Kuwait.

In September 2019 an Egyptian worker died after falling into an industrial cement mixer in a factory in Kuwait.

There are more than 60,000 Egyptians in Kuwait, making them the largest expatriate group in the Gulf country, yet they lack employment rights and safety provision.

Serious injuries or accidental deaths among construction workers in Kuwait comprise nearly half of all worker injuries in the country, according to the Kuwait Times.

The high rate of accidents in the country are due to lack of safety standards including the use of wooden scaffolding and the fact that workers don’t always wear hard hats or receive protective clothing or equipment.

Accidents also occur due to a lack of training, and negligence of safety rules.

A 2015 report on migrant rights found that industry corruption, including overextending project timelines and using cheap materials, put construction workers at risk.

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