Work Resumes at World Cup Stadium Following Worker Death

December 19, 2013

Work can begin again at 2014 World Cup Stadium Arena Amazones in Manaus where a worker fell to his death, media reports said.

Construction at the site partially resumed on Monday, although not at the roof where the 22-year-old worker fell 35 meters on Saturday after his protective cable snapped.

However, the public prosecutor’s office, which approved the resumption of construction, also ruled that there should be no further night work.

The victim – the second fatality at the Arena Amazonia this year – died as he prepared to finish a night shift.

An investigation into health and safety conditions at the site determined that main contractor Andrade Gutierrez had undertaken measures to improve safety, such as increased supervision of safety equipment and the stability of scaffolding.

Workers had threatened a strike after Saturday’s tragedy, the fourth to hit World Cup stadiums.

On November 27, two construction workers died at the stadium in Sao Paulo, which will host the June 12 opening match between Brazil and Croatia after a crane fell onto part of the stadium at it lifted a final piece of roofing into position.

Manaus suffered a first death last March when a 49-year-old man plunged to his death and there was also a fatality last year at the new stadium in Brasilia.