Over 900 workplace inspections conducted in 2023

Over 900 workplace inspections were conducted by the Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department in 2023.

This was revealed by Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton on Tuesday during his end-of-year press conference at the ministry head office, Georgetown.

“950 inspections were done in Georgetown and across the region, that affect over 8,000 workers,” Minister Hamilton stated.

The OSH department monitors, enforces, and promotes the application of good health and safety standards at workplaces.

Minister Hamilton disclosed that workplace fatality has decreased from 32 to 20 deaths over three years.

Meanwhile, the government has reiterated its zero-tolerance approach to hazardous and unhealthy working conditions.

According to Minister Hamilton, the administration is placing heavy emphasis on reducing the workplace fatality figure to zero by undertaking various mechanisms. 

“We have established several joint technical committees with partner agencies…to help to ensure that this fatality rate decreases…It is not a worker and employee matter. It is a national and cultural matter that we must confront,” Minister Hamilton underscored.

A majority of these workplace deaths exist in the mining and construction sectors, with a few in the agriculture sector. 

Additionally, non-fatal accidents in 2020 were over 300 to about 400.

The government has been engaging the agriculture and manufacturing sectors regarding supervision during operations.

Meanwhile, the OSH department continues to conduct safety and health training sessions, free of cost with both sectors.

As it pertains to training in the oil and gas sector, 11 oil and gas companies were engaged, and over 250 persons benefitted from the effort.

“Our intention is to have all our officers become specialists in different sectors in agriculture, oil and gas, mining, construction, and forestry,” the labour minister stressed.