Workplace Accidents decreased by more than 200 in 2019

─ Stricter OSH practice to be enforced by Labour Dept.

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour says it recorded 291 workplace accidents in 2019, down from 560 the previous year.

There were 20 deaths as a result of last year’s accidents, compared to 22 in 2018.

Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, told DPI that strict measures were adopted during 2019 to ensure that workers were safe and well protected.

He added: “All the fatal accidents were fully investigated or are being investigated in keeping with a policy which dictates that 100 percent of fatal accidents would be reported in a timely manner.”

Minister Scott noted that several Labour Officers last month underwent specialised training on how to conduct inspections to expose the smallest of workplace accidents or infractions.

He added that in 2018 the most fatalities from workplace accidents occurred in the mining sector which recorded seven and the remaining 13 fatalities were from aviation, construction, logging, and the sawmilling sectors.

“In 2018, the figure was too high; this led the Labour Department to ensuring that all employers understand that in this country, the employees and their health come first and that the laws of Guyana at all stages must be enforced. This Department also works side by side with the National Insurance Scheme to compensate the families of the deceased,” Scott stated.

According to Minister Scott, the Labour Department would be like a “watchdog” to protect the nations human resource this year. He also encouraged stakeholders to improve their work ethic and to prioritise the safety of workers to eliminate workplace accidents.