Supervisor Earl Rampersad pushed his co-worker out of harm’s way and took the full blow of the glass panes which fell on them at the workplace, his relatives said yesterday.

When they pulled him from under the shattered glass, Rampersad, father of a two-year-old boy, was already dead. His co-worker was treated at the Chaguanas Health Facility and allowed to go home.

Rampersad’s family does not know the co-worker name.

’The man who was injured came by us last night and said Earl was his hero. He said Earl pushed him aside to save his life. But I am not surprised, that is the kind of person he is. He was the supervisor, but he did everything. He went down to help the workers when this accident happened. And he save someone’s life in the process,’ his brother, Evrold Rampersad said.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon, while workers were off-loading glass from a container at Delta Glass, Frederick Settlement, Caroni, where Rampersad, 36, was employed for over ten years.

The Express made several attempts to contact officials at Delta Glass yesterday. But numerous telephone calls went unanswered.

Evrold Rampersad said the accident could have been prevented as Rampersad was wearing no safety gear, and remained under the glass for some time before he was removed.

Rampersad’s wife, Nalina Rampersad was inconsolable, relatives said, and their son wanted to know why his daddy did not return home.

Evrold Rampersad said: ’He was a humble, decent man. There is no doubt about it. If there is one person who would make it to heaven it is Earl. He came to visit my mom the night before he died and he was dusting out the place, he was always a clean person.’

Those who gathered at the family’s home at Bhaggan Trace, Chase Village, Chaguanas yesterday described Rampersad as a hard-working man who loved his family.