A person with an axe to grind or is just an agent of provocation, or wors yet

Apr 10, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

Please permit me space in your newspaper to respond to the letter written by M. Williams, which appeared in your Monday 8 April 2019 edition of your Newspaper– “Safety Should be the First Consideration”. The reference of this letter writer is the industrial activities of Guyana’s largest Gold mining company- Guyana Goldfields/AGM Inc.
It is most obvious that the writer’s aim is to discredit the company’s impeccable safety record by implying that that SAFETY is not THE FIRST CONSIDERATION at AGM Inc.; in fact, it is the First PRIORITY and is the Core Value of the Company.
Following the major mining accident in 2015 where 10 miners lost their lives due to pit wall collapse, the Ministry of Natural Resources in collaboration with the Guyana Mining School held a Training Seminar at Arthur Chung Convention Center, facilitated by Ret. Chief of Staff Joe Singh. Participants from large scale miners from reputable companies such as Troy’s Resources, and Guyana Goldfields Inc. did presentations on safe mining practices to other members of the mining fraternity.
It is noteworthy that the safe mining practices demonstrated by Guyana Goldfields Inc./AGM Inc. has awarded them the ability to cop the Mining award, this honour was bestowed upon them by the Ministry Of Natural Resources, during the ‘Pork-knocker Week’ festivities of the said year. It is because of this and numerous other facts, that I am confident that every one of the monitoring agencies such as; GGMC, the OSH department of the Ministry of Social Protection and the Department of Compliance of the Ministry of Natural Resources would rubbish this erroneous claim of this letter writer.
The letter writer is alluding to some trick practised by companies regarding the failure to report the work related injuries and ‘cooking’ numbers. This suggestion is laughable, and would only be uttered by someone who is ignorant of the industrial procedure required for managing the return to work and modified duties of injured workers. For the benefit of the letter writer’s ignorance, I wish to outline the following: The duty of care of employers dictates that there be established policies that are followed by workers and supervisors in event of an injury. (1) The injured worker promptly reports the injury to his immediate supervisor (2) the supervisor escorts the injured worker to the First Aid Station, for an assessment of the injury. It is at this point that the Medical officer makes a determination of whether the employee is able to return to work or further treatment is required by medical facility. (3) If the injured worker is referred to a medical institution, he/she is escorted/assisted by the Medical Liaison Officer to the said Medical institution for further evaluation. Based on the result of the evaluation, it is possible for that worker’s duties to be reassessed and he/she could be given restricted or modified duties that would in no way impede the healing process. Example, an employee may sustain a sprain ankle or fracture finger there are aspects of work that can be done as against the employee’s regular duties and this is an acceptable norm throughout the industrialized world. It should be noted also this is followed for any person injured on an industrial premises, be it an employee or contractor alike.
On the other hand, where the worker is unable to return to work immediately, he is issued a sick leave certificate. The laws of Guyana clearly dictates that a log of the incident MUST be recorded in the accident register and the formal notification be sent to the Ministry of Social Protection (Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer). This can all be corroborated by the Ministry of Social Protection, the reported notification of accident by AGM Inc. and the physical record of the accident and dangerous occurrence register (This register is up to date at Guyana Goldfields Inc.)
It is possible for an employee to be off work as a result of an Industrial accident and be fully compensated for up to 26 weeks, this is separate and apart from transportation (for both the injured person and his/her spouse) and other incidentals cover by the company. However, the malicious use of the statement “Right now, I am home, having been injured at work (unreported). I’m getting paid, though” is an insult to Occupational Safety and Health and should be seen as a serious one, especially during this month set aside to special emphasis on safety in the work place, the writer should be ashamed of himself, that is if he has any bit of or moral fibre left in his being.
The letter writer appears to have an axe to grind or is just an agent of provocation or worst yet, is delusional about underground mining practices period. I would be more than willing to read some quoted statistics presented by the letter writer on this subject.
Please permit me to say that Underground mining is undoubtedly something positive for our economy and has excellent prospects for Human Resource development in Guyana. We will always have pessimist in this world but pessimist that preaches doom sermons are dangerous to say the least.
I wish however to be pellucid by stating that the letter writer name M. Williams is not Michael Gordon Williams – Past Health and Safety Superintendent of Guyana Goldfields Inc./AGM Inc.

Regards
Michael Williams CSO, CRSP.
President Safergy Solutions

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