National OSH policy finalized – Five-year plan of action to be implemented following approval

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, May 3, 2018

The Ministry of Social Protection has finalised the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). This was announced today by Patricia Woolford, Vice-Chairperson of the National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH).

Vice-Chairperson of the National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), Patricia Woolford.

Woolford explained that all data pertinent to the policy’s approval was submitted to Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, who then submitted the document for Cabinet’s ratification.

The OSH policy will improve the quality of life of workers by preventing social and economic losses, work-related accidents and injury to health. This will be achieved by eliminating hazards, reducing the number of accidents, and injuries, and mitigating stress and incidence of occupational diseases. Furthermore, the policy will create safer and healthier work environments through the development of a positive national culture of prevention of occupational accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.

According to Woolford, the policy will also set in motion a five-year plan of action for OSH development in Guyana, and training and public education activities will be strengthened.

Guyana’s first National Policy on OSH was crafted in 1993 and revised in 1996 in accordance with ILO Convention on OSH No. 155, which was ratified by Guyana in 2012. However, in 2016, a decision was taken to review the OSH system and align it with the Strategic Framework of the ILO on OSH, guided by ILO Convention No. 187. The first step consisted of the update of the policy of 1996.

 

By: Synieka Thorne.

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