Get safety accreditation to take part in oil rush – local companies urged
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is urging local companies to get accredited for safe practices in order to grasp opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
GNBS Director, Candelle Walcott-Bostwick told stakeholders at the World Accreditation Day 2018 Forum on Tuesday: “We have a lot of work to do in Guyana. I am sure you have seen some of the minimum requirements that have to do with standards and occupational safety and health systems. We have to demonstrate that we are doing our operations in a way that will not cause injury to health.”
“We need to embrace the implementation of standards to ensure that we operate using standards, processes and best practices which are internationally recognized. Once the standards are implemented it will add value to operations,” Walcott-Bostwick added.
She explained that companies adhering to safety practices and other standards will also allow them to become recognised at the global level. “Internationally, investors will take precedence by selecting companies who are implementing safety systems.”
Supporting the view that more companies need to become accredited and conform to international standards, Chair of the National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health, Earl Morris pointed out that the number of deaths per year due to work-related accidents were still discouraging.
By: Crystal Stoll.
Image: Jules Gibson.