“Taking Safety and Health to the Workplace”

– Occupational Safety and Health for workplaces

– training exercise will be conducted for two days

– persons urged to purchase the Occupational Safety and Health Act at Parliament Buildings

DPI, Guyana, Friday, June 14, 2019

The Department of Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Department is taking health and safety to workplaces to better educate employers and their staff on the importance of following safety guidelines in the workplace.

This information was disclosed to the Department of Public Information (DPI) in a recent interview with Occupational Safety and Health Consultant, Gwyneth King, who noted that accidents occurring on jobs are unforeseen, but measures must be put in place to prevent them. “We investigate complaints and workplace accidents, we organize and conduct training seminars and what we have being doing is taking the training to workplaces so many can benefit. We started this approach since last year and have been providing training for Representatives of the Safety and Health Committee, we have two days training programme that can be conducted at workplaces at the convenience of the participants.”

King further said the department also registers workplaces and issues Steam Boilers inspection certificates. She emphasised that every business should be registered and once the business’s operation commences, re-registration should be done on an annual basis to avoid prosecution by the Occupational Safety and Health Department (OSH).

“In terms of our legal authority that comes from the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 9906, Laws of Guyana, the Department has the authority to enforce the act through its Inspectors who have the power to investigate, inspect and order compliance with the Act and Regulations made thereunder,” King highlighted.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act is the primary legislation that governs workplace hazards and applies to every industrial establishment, such as, a Factory, Shop or Office. The act, which is also based on a joint responsibility system or an internal responsibility system, offers workplace parties, such as, workers, employers and trade unions’ representatives to work together to identify or develop solutions to workplace hazards.

King explained that workplaces training sessions would be in every administrative region. Of a total of 560 reported workplace accidents, 22 or four per cent have resulted in the loss of lives during 2018.