Employers urged to improve safety measures at workplaces

Aug 29, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Amid growing concerns about workplace fatalities, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton on Wednesday cautioned employers in both public and private entities to improve on safety measures in their place of work.

The minister mentioned made the remarks during a seminar hosted by the ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department where discussions were held on improvements of safety and health measures particularly within the construction sector. The event took place at the Regency Suites Hotel on Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, and was attended by 80 participants from both public and private organisations.

The seminar, themed ‘Investing in Prevention Pays: It Saves Lives and It Saves Money’, featured several notable speakers, including :Minister Hamilton, OSH Consultant Gwen King, and Divisional Director of Quality, Health, Safety and  Environment (QHSE) and Operational Support Department at Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Inc., Gary Hall.

The seminar was organised in response to numerous complaints from workers about unsafe conditions in the construction sector. In light of these concerns a panel discussion was organised where recommendations were made to enhance workplace safety by implementing robust safety and health practices.

Minister Hamilton during his remarks stressed the importance of developing a robust safety culture and expressed grave concern about the rise in workplace fatalities, particularly in the mining and construction sectors. He stated, “As Guyanese, we have two choices: one, we do nothing and we continue where we have been going and hope that God been good to us or we change. If we choose to do nothing, then we should prepare to play dominoes and cards at wake houses.”

The minister highlighted the seminar as a crucial step in educating employers and shifting the national mindset towards a proactive approach in preventing work-related incidents. He encouraged participants to collaborate with the Ministry of Labour to establish joint technical committees aimed at ensuring consistent adherence to safety and health practices. For workplaces with more than 19 employees, he emphasised the need to establish an OSH committee to support this mission.

OSH consultant King highlighted the construction industry as one of the most hazardous workplaces, noting that many incidents could be avoided with better safety measures. She noted that over the past three years, the ministry recorded 32 occupational deaths reported in 2023, following 27 in 2021 and 21 in 2022. These incidents predominantly occurred in the mining, construction, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors. Additionally, in 2023, the Ministry investigated 175 non-fatal accidents out of 577 reports, with the agriculture and manufacturing sectors accounting for the majority of these incidents.

According to King, common causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace include falls from height, being struck by moving vehicles and machineries, and electrocution from contact with electrical equipment. In order to mitigate the issue, King emphasised the necessity of investing in preventive measures to save lives, stating, “It is against this background that the ministry thought we needed to invite you here today to sensitise you about good workplace safety and health practices and encourage you to invest in prevention since it saves lives.”

Divisional Director and Operational Support at GPL Gary Hall described the seminar as timely and crucial, bringing together stakeholders to address critical safety issues, including fatalities caused by contact with electrical lines. He noted that six people had died in seven months from electrocution, with two deaths related to construction activities.

Workplace fatalities

In relation to workplace fatalities cases, back in May this year the ministry’s OSH Department investigated the death of 20-year-old Bryan Hardial, a labourer of Lot 105, Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara. According to reports, Hardial was in the process of raising a gutter to be installed on the front of the third floor of the building under construction. During this process, a part of the gutter came into contact with the live electrical wires at the front of the building, causing Hardial to receive an electrical shock and fell from the third floor to the ground.

In March, the ministry conducted another investigation into a 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧ts located at Wharf Area, Providence, East Bank Demerara. The investigation revealed that Ravichandra Seemangal, a mechanic, was riding his bicycle while at the same time, a telehoist operator was reversing the vehicle. The telehoist collided with the bicycle and Seemangal sustained injuries to his abdomen, feet, and hands. He succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at a city hospital.

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• Guyanese, Health and safety seminar, Ministry of Labour, Occupational Safety and Health, Regency Suites Hotel

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