Safety concerns continue to hamper stadium work

In an effort to reverse an order that halted construction of part of the stadium that will host the opening game of the World Cup, Brazilian organizers are installing safety features at the site of a construction worker's death.

The addition of new safety rails on Tuesday came a day after labor officials said the installation of 20,000 temporary seats at Itaquerao stadium could not continue until safety concerns were addressed.

On Saturday, a 23-year-old worker died after falling from about 26 feet while installing the seats needed for the opener.

After a meeting with constructors, labor ministry officials in Sao Paulo said the work stoppage is expected to continue until next week. Construction in the rest of the stadium, which is already delayed, would continue as scheduled.

Fast Engenharia, the company in charge of the temporary structures, is expected to present a new safety plan on Thursday to show all necessary measures will be implemented. Work would resume once the plan is approved and put into practice.

The company, which reiterated all of its safety measures were in accordance with Brazilian regulations, said after the analysis of the report it expected construction to "resume immediately so it could deliver the work by the established deadline".

Before the accident, FIFA expected the venue to be ready about a month ahead of the June 12 opening match between Brazil and Croatia.

Sao Paulo's deputy mayor didn't expect the work stoppage to cause significant delays to the stadium's construction, saying the installation of the temporary seats was a "relatively simple job".

"It is not a complex situation," Nadia Campeao told Radio Estadao. "Even if work is stopped for a few days so the recommended adjustments can be made, it shouldn't alter the final timetable."

FIFA and the local World Cup organizing committee released a statement downplaying the delay caused by the work interruption, which they called "standard procedure when accidents of this nature occur."

"FIFA and the LOC support any efforts by the authorities to improve worker safety," the statement said. "Given the advanced state of the assembling of the temporary stands, we believe the schedule for delivery of these areas will not be impacted."

A labor ministry official in Sao Paulo said the construction stoppage was needed to eliminate the risk of another death.

"If there are no additional safety measures, the work can't continue," Luiz Antonio de Medeiros told the Agencia Estado news service. "There was not enough protection; it was irresponsible."

Fast Engenharia has denied any wrongdoing and said the worker had all the required safety equipment available to him at the time of the accident.

Investigators said an initial probe showed the worker didn't connect himself to a safety cable. According to witness accounts, he said he only had a "quick thing" to finish at the site.