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Safety continues to be less important

Jun 03, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – The Minister of Education in a Facebook post recently shared her pride for the services being provided to a school. She stated, “This is Godfrey Munroe from our MISU dept with Umbrella in one hand and phone to ear in the other on a roof in pounding rain to install internet at Waramuri Village at the primary school. This is what service looks like for us!”

Unfortunately the Minister overlooked the safety of Munroe, while boasting of the service being provided. There have been many accidents involving persons working on high rise buildings, causing death and injuries. The Ministry of Labour should have already put in place the requirements for persons working on high rise buildings across the country to ensure that the proper safety equipment is always used.

Given the recent concerns for safety at the schools, including those raised as a result of the Mahdia Fire, I expected the Ministers and their associated Ministries to be more sensitive and aware of the importance of safety. What is more concerning is that the Minister seems to be oblivious to the safety risks and how serious an injury Munroe could have experienced. Both hands filled while on a zinc sheet roof in the pouring rain with no fall protection.

The government must do a better job of protecting our workers by ensuring employers provide   safe working standards for them. The inexperience of the current team of Ministers is becoming more evident as these embarrassing incidents become public. The Ministry of Labour must step in and prevent further near misses from occurring by explicitly implementing clear working at heights requirements. Such work should require a permit that ensures the person carrying out the work has been trained on how to use, and will use the required safety equipment for the job being carried out. Safety must be the first priority!

Sincerely,

Mr. Jamil Changlee

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