Bahamas Striping subsidiary hires 45 Abaconians for debris removal

Bahamas Striping subsidiary hires 45 Abaconians for debris removal

Company’s president returns to childhood roots to aid in restoration

NASSAU, BAHAMAS-  Caribbean Pavement Solutions, a Bahamas Striping subsidiary has hired 45 Abaconians to aid in its debri removal mandate.

Caribbean Pavement Solutions was one of four companies who was mandated by the Government of The Bahamas to remove the debris from the shantytowns in Abaco.

President of Bahamas Striping Atario Mitchell, who spent his childhood in Abaco, speaking on the devastation of Hurricane Dorian said, “Our island has never seen anything as catastrophic as Hurricane Dorian, and as I listened to many family members and friends relive and describe the storm, I realized that it was a horrific experience for everyone who was on the island. I am taking a special interest in this project, as it is home for me, and I would have never imagined that this island would have experienced this magnitude of devastation.”

The company hired forty five  Abaconians, who were also eager to return to the only place they know as home and who also shared the same passion as Mitchell in beginning the restoration of Abaco even though they knew it would be intense and exhausting.

President of Bahamas Striping Atario Mitchell.

“I am taking a special interest in the clean up because this is my home, and I will always regard myself as an Abaconian. I have to do my part. My company and team will do our best to ensure that we play a role in ensuring that Abaco gets back on its feet, as we are resilient people and Abaco has the potential to be a burgeoning city once again,” said Mitchell.

Caribbean Pavement Solutions is responsible for removing all debris including white waste such as freezers and stoves, electronic waste including televisions and computers, household waste such as mattresses, couches and beds, and construction waste from the most devastated shantytown, The Mudd.

Dr Allen Albury Managing Director of Caribbean Pavement Solutions stated that the company travelled to Abaco and conducted an assessment to ensure that they would have the necessary equipment required such as excavators, grapple trucks, boom cranes, forklifts, payloaders, backhoes, low boy trailers, dump trucks, D5 and D8 tractors, and other equipment to ensure that the project moves on a timely basis.

“We have a steady movement of heavy equipment, but we want to ensure that the area is treated with a level of dignity because we know that there would be a few discoveries of human remains and we want to ensure that we are handling them with sensitivity,“ said Albury.

He added that the team is making significant progress as the weather is cooperating and he expects that the project will last for another six to eight weeks.

Scores of Bahamians feel that the clean up process is not moving swiftly, and international aid and assistance is required.

“Bahamians have the capacity and the level of equipment to handle a project of this magnitude. We are dealing with an unparalleled level of disaster that still potentially has human remains, therefore we have to handle the site with sensitivity, as we have to go through layers of debris. Our staff know from our safety briefings that if bodies are discovered, work in that area stops immediately and the local authorities are contacted along with the police, and the remains are removed before work commences. It is important that we ensure that all of our staff understand that no videos and photographs are allowed as we are certain that no family member wants to find out their loved ones has departed through social media,” added Albury.

Dr Albury indicated that removal of the debris is the first phase of the reconstruction effort and there are several local operators that are doing tremendous work.