Tributes have poured in for Mimma Faia, 38, after she was electrocuted at her workplace in Italy. Her death has prompted calls to strengthen safety measures for workers
A mum of three has tragically died after she was electrocuted whilst mopping a kitchen floor at work.
Mimma Faia, 38, from Palermo, Sicily, was left fighting for her life for two months after the freak accident in October. Emergency services rushed to the restaurant where she was working after she was zapped and collapsed to the ground.
Paramedics managed to revive her and raced her to Policlinico Hospital. She sadly fell into a coma for two months and died in intensive care on December 11. One of her children confirmed her death on social media in an emotional post.
They said: “She rests in peace. Thank you for all that you have done,” she said. “Take care of us the way you always have. I love you Mum.” Her friend Giovanna wrote: “What pain, dear Mimma. After all the trials you overcame in life, raising three wonderful children on your own, this wasn’t the fate you deserved. You deserved joy and love, but now we are left to live with this heartbreaking reality.”
Labour unions have also spoken out. Uiltrasporti Sicilia called for better safety measures to be put in place for workers. In a statement, the union said: “The death of Mimma Faia, electrocuted in a trattoria, represents yet another tragedy tied to a lack of workplace safety. We cannot accept that a worker leaves home to earn a modest living only to return in a coffin. Uiltrasporti Sicilia will continue to demand ‘Zero deaths at work.'”
Katia Di Cristina and Daniele Barbera, union secretaries, added: “The service sector is too often exploited, under-protected, and lacking even minimal safety standards. It’s time to say ‘enough’. We cannot continue to tolerate this situation. Uiltrasporti reaffirms its commitment to preventing such tragedies and calls on institutions and companies to prioritise worker safety and dignity.”
Mimma’s death is being investigated by Italian police and safety experts. Over in the US, a man was found dead sticking out from an air conditioning unit in November. Jonathan Flores, 32, from Texas, was discovered on the roof of a building. According to initial reports, the father of two was electrocuted.
His friend Christian Briones described the traumatic scene and told ABC News Eyewitness 13 : “His body was just laying inside the thing he was trying to take something apart”. Paying tribute to Mr Flores, Mr Briones referred to his kindness, saying: “I was living just across the street from him. Showed up, fixed my A/C right away. Didn’t ask for anything. That was just my friend”.
