Business owners reminded to heed Guyana’s first aid laws

Nov 27, 2017 News

Persons in every business are required to be trained in first aid, says Chairman of the St. John’s Association Vibert Parvatan, who recently reminded of the importance of this aspect so as to ensure proper managerial and safety skills.
The need for persons to be trained in first aid is often displayed in many workplaces where an incident occurs and nobody knows how to handle the situation.
Working at the St. John’s Association, he said he has recognized that there has been a lack of these persons in businesses.
The laws of Guyana stipulate that in every workplace there must be safety and health representatives. This is provided for under the Occupational Safety and Health act of Guyana.
At least four persons are expected to be trained in first aid where the business has a population of fewer than 50 workers, whereas, if the company exceeds 50 workers that are regularly employed, at least six persons should be trained.
Although businessmen and women are expected to follow the laws regardless of their occupation the law states, “No medical practitioner who is the occupier of an industrial establishment, or is directly or indirectly interested therein, or in any process or business carried on therein, or in a patent connected therewith, shall act as a medical practitioner for that industrial establishment”.
This simply means that a medical officer that owns a business cannot function as the medical officer for his establishment.
It goes on to state the function of such an inspector at a workplace. According to the laws, the medical inspector for the business is entitled to “have power at all reasonable times” to carry out inspections.
It states “upon any cause of death or injury caused by exposure in an industrial establishment due to fumes or other noxious substances, or due to any other special cause specified in instructions of the Minister as requiring investigation”.
In some businesses there are rooms where employees are not allowed to enter. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Act provides for the medical inspector to have access to all rooms in the business in the case of an investigation where someone was killed, injured or affected.
Among a few others, these officers have the power to identify situations that may be a source of danger and have the matter reported to the workers, employer, or the union or unions that represent the employees, to have further action taken.
They are also empowered to receive information from the employer with regards to the conducting of tests and are also to be consulted about and be present in the beginning of any tests that are to be conducted on workers.
This act even makes provisions for those who work in construction sites. It states that at a construction site where the number of workers exceeds five, the employer allows the workers to select at least one safety and health representative from among themselves who does not exercise managerial functions.
In this regard, the Minister is also given the power to instruct the employer to have the employees select more than one safety and health representative.
In selecting a medical officer to carry out its functions, there are certain criteria. For example, the officer must be one who does not carry out the duties of manager.
In the case where a Union may represent workers, the selection of the health representative may be done through the delegation of the union.
The health representative when selected will then be expected to conduct inspections to the workplace to verify its physical condition, at least once per month.
While the designated person carries out his or her duties, the employer as well as the workers is by law, required to provide the representative with information and assistance they may need.
While given these privileges, and a few others, the representatives are however expected to maintain records of all the functions he or she would have carried out and present same to an inspector.

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