[By: Equbal Wajid: An extract from the writer's diary ofSaudi Arabia.]

I will not blame GUNNEBO or THALES for the injury of my finger- tip that was smashed under a forklift tyre. Truly it was my own fault and lack of safety awareness that caused this incident. On 21st December .2010 at 3:00 pm, a shipment arrived THALES Jubail Warehouse in two containers loaded on two trailers, without any prior information. When I saw the documents it was not clear to which site of MAADEN these materials belong to. The two trailer Drivers told me that they are coming from Dammam port and they have been asked to unload the material in Jubail. 

 I called forklift operator and unsealed the Containers. UPS Transformers, Road Blockers and other heavy materials were fully packed in the containers. The forklift started unloading the pallets. When four or five pallets were unloaded I saw more heavy equipments in side and stopped for a while. I thought, it is not good to unload the materials unless it is not clear to which site these materials belong to? I asked the forklift operator to stop the work; then I called Mr.Syed Nizamuddin.

"Hello! Assalaam O Alaikum"   I asked.

Walaikum assalaam ! Yes Equbal Sahab ! Tell me?" said Mr.Nizamuddin.

"Two fully packed containers have arrived from GUNNEBU, these are Road Blockers,UPS Transformers and other heavy equipments but I don't know to which site of MAADEN these materials belong to? When I broke opened the seal and started unloading the materials then it came in my mind to verify for the sites?  If it is for Raz Az Zawr or Jalamid it should go there" I explained. 

"Why then you broke opened the seals and unloaded 5 of its pallets?" He asked firmly." ………………….." No answer.  

"Nobody informed me about that. When I offloaded the 5th pallet and saw inside there are more heavier equipments fully packed, then it came in my mind as if to verify the site fist." I answered after a while. 

"This is not good Mr. Equbal. You have to ask me before you start unloading. Now call Mr. Abu Firas Riyadh procurement and ask him to which site these materials belong to?, answered Mr.Syed Nizamuddin firmly. 

I called Mr. Abu Firas Riyadh Procurement and asked him about the sites of the materials. It took few minutes to Mr. Abu Firas to answer that these materials belong to AL JALAMID site. By the time Mr.Syed Nizamuddin was physically present in the backyard. He himself confirmed things withRiyadhand asked me to upload the offloaded pallets back and send both the trailers to JALAMID. 

When the operator was up loading the pallets two incidents occurred one after another. Firstly; the UPS transformer fell down from the front side and its oil speared out on the earth. Nobody witnessed it. The main cause of the incident was that the floor of the backyard was not leveled and the forklift operator failed to control when the Transformer swung and fell down. By the time I was at another place. When I saw it I called some staff and with their help the UPS Transformer was held straight. Initially I wanted to hide the case but in the second thought I decided to report the incident to Mr. Nizamuddin. Mr.Nizamuddin was much annoyed, he asked the operator how it happened?. He also took some pictures. No damage was noted from the outer side, only the oil blew out. Mr. Shamees also came in the back yard. He told me that I am the responsible man if any damage could occur in the Transformer. 

The next accident followed just after few minutes. When the operator was uploading the pallets back, I was pointing him to put the fork qt right place. At a place in the storage area one of its front tires was caught in a pitch. It continuously went on slipping, it was demanding something harder under its wheel. I find a broken piece of wood suitable to put under the tyre. Though I was more careful but it took no time for the wood to roll under the tyre with my finger. Suddenly I felt as if something has happened wrong, by the time I saw drops of blood coming out of my finger tip. The finger tip was smashed under the tyre. I caught hold the finger with my other hand. I rushed to office, some staff saw me and immediately I was sent to Al Mana Hospital. Mr.Naseer Sahab [Company's Driver] took me to the Al Mana Hospital in a car. I was brought through the emergency door. Mr. Ahmed the GRO was following me. What I saw in the Hospital was miserable. Few minutes later a Doctor came with a female nurse. The female nurse just dropped some tincture upon the wound and just put a cotton piece up on it.  After half an hour a senior Doctor came. He advised the juniors to treat the wound with medicine; if it will be incurable then they will consider an operation.  Operation means to cut off the finger tip. 

I was looking at the cut and I saw its color was slowly changing into blue. It was the immediate demand of the wound to stitch it without delay else wise the cells could be dead and no way could be left except to cut off the portion. Being a son of Doctor I was expecting a bad result from the delay. Two hours passed and nothing happened. The color of my cut part was fainting rapidly and it was growing blue and blue. I believed that if it will be further late I will definitely lose my finger tip. When I asked the Reception why it is so late? I was answered that paper work in not complete. After 2 and half hour I stood up and went to the Reception and asked to leave the hospital. I told them that I don't like my treatment here. They prepared release document and I was out of the Hospital. There was a column in the release paper where I have to mention the reason for leaving the Hospital. I wrote ‘Lack of money'.   Mr. Abdul Qadeer from Pakistan a THALES employee was following me. He told me that Mr. Razi had asked him to do so. I was running out of money, as it was my miserable stage in THALES. I had not got my payment for three months due some incomplete paper work. 

I asked Abdul Qadeer Bahi to drop me in DINA Hospital; here the Doctor treated me immediately. He told me that I am too late, so he cannot save most of its parts, he cut off half of the cut part that was hanging with the finger and stitched half of the skin that was still alive, then; regularly each alternate day I visited the Doctor for dressing. By the grace of Allah the wound got cured in twenty days, but it took four or five months for the new nail to appear beautifully.

 When I was waiting for treatment at Al Mana Hospital, an Egyptian Doctor was pursuing me to allow him to cut my finger tip. He told me why I not ask to cut off my finger tip. Through this I can get much money from GOSI [Insurance] . 

However, my treatment was completed. Mr.Abdul Qdeer paid for me in the Hospital but he told that it is his personal money and that if THALES will refuse to pay back it will be due with me. The total expenses were about 900 Riyals. Abdul Qadeer spent near about 500 and I lend 500 from my roommate.  When I tried to cash the invoices in THALES I was asked that THALES couldn't pay me for the accident because I am a Buy Out worker, there is no official insurance coverage for me. 

I thanked ALLAH that my finger was cured and He saved me form major causality. Later I was afraid about the UPS Transformer but I heard that it worked properly at JALAMID and no damage was recorded in this regard. In THALES, I am of the mind that even if it could have happened contrary, nobody could have been punished or any penalty could have been charged on anyone.   [……continued]  XXX