Panama’s Ministry of Labor has ordered a near-total work stoppage on the fourth bridge project over the Panama Canal after a worker fell from a platform at the Figali prefabrication site on Thursday night, September 24. Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz confirmed the suspension during a visit to the consortium’s administrative offices on Friday.
The injured worker fell from approximately two meters while performing duties on the project, according to a statement from the Consorcio Panamá Cuarto Puente (CPCP). The company said the employee wore personal protective equipment, received first aid on site, and was transported to a medical center. The worker is currently stable with non-serious injuries under control.
Safety Record Prompts Fourth Bridge Project Shutdown
Muñoz placed the latest incident within a troubling pattern of accidents on the megaproject. The fourth bridge project has now recorded three worker fatalities and multiple repeated safety incidents. The minister emphasized that her office maintains several safety inspectors on the site specifically to prevent such occurrences.
“This is a project that already has three fatalities and a series of repeated accidents. We have been in conversations and have asked for safety measures to be reviewed. The ministry does not have a single safety officer on this work; it has several, precisely to avoid this type of situation. During recent months we have paralyzed work on different fronts. This time we are doing it almost in its entirety,” Muñoz said.
Inspection Findings and Vulnerable Working Conditions
The minister revealed that inspectors have documented Panamanian workers laboring in unsafe conditions. She referenced a photograph from a previous inspection showing local workers inside an excavation without proper protective measures. “In vulnerable conditions, I saw a photo of an inspection where there were Panamanian workers below in an excavation and those are not the correct measures,” she stated.
Muñoz announced she will request a formal meeting with construction managers to determine what corrective actions they will implement. She made clear that work cannot resume until the safety situation is resolved. Her inspectors are currently deployed across different work fronts of the project.
“I am going to request a meeting with those in charge of the work. When I learned what happened, I called, but I have not yet had contact with the company. I want to know what measures they are going to take. The work will not resume until the situation is resolved. I am also here to speak with the workers; my inspectors are already on different work fronts,” Muñoz said.
Consortium Response and Unclear Timeline
The CPCP stated that it immediately activated its safety and emergency protocols following the incident. The consortium affirmed it is cooperating closely with authorities who are on site investigating the causes and reinforcing necessary safety measures.
No official timeline has been provided for how long the partial work stoppage will remain in effect. The suspension covers nearly all construction activity on the fourth bridge project, which spans the Panama Canal. The Ministry of Labor has not indicated when it will evaluate whether conditions allow for a safe resumption of work.
The fourth bridge project remains one of Panama’s most significant infrastructure undertakings. The repeated safety interventions highlight ongoing tensions between construction progress and worker protection on large-scale public works. The ministry’s decision to halt nearly all activity signals an escalation in enforcement after previous partial suspensions failed to prevent additional accidents.