Artificial Intelligence set to enhance occupational health and safety in Guyana – Labour Minister

To promote the prevention of occupational accidents in the workplace, artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilised by the Ministry of Labour.

The use of advanced technology for this purpose comes amid stark records of accidents in the mining and construction sectors and is part of a global drive to enhance workplaces through technology.

This year’s Occupational Safety and Health Day, to be observed on April 28, is held under the theme: “Revolutionising Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalisation at Work.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Ministry is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, encouraging, and enforcing good practices in safety and health standards at work.

Emphasising the country’s commitment to promoting workplace safety during the launch of Occupational Safety and Health Month at the Labour Ministry’s compound at Brickdam, Georgetown, Minister Joseph Hamilton said it is also important for employers and trade unions to play a role in ensuring that workplaces use technology without detracting from the workforce.

“While the government needs, among other things, to invest in regulatory oversight, employers need to anticipate hazards before they materialise and create safer environments to reduce workers’ exposure to dangerous tasks. Trade unions also have a critical role to play in ensuring that technology enhances and does not replace the human element in the workforce,” the minister stated.

Norris Witter, President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, and Carvil Duncan, President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), agreed with the minister’s sentiments that workplaces should not use technology to replace workers.

The minister further noted that, in keeping with this year’s theme, his ministry is focusing on the use of emerging technologies like AI and robotics to assist workers in ensuring their safety. He added that understanding how machine learning, unmanned aerial vehicles, task automation, and smart digital systems are impacting workplaces is also within the ministry’s current scope of work.

The use of AI in workplaces assists with achieving faster workflows and provides data analysis that can help identify challenges and reduce risks.

Adam Cantu, a representative of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), and Vahman Jurai, Country Lead for Halliburton, shared that the oil and gas industry is continually improving and enhancing its use of technology in the workplace. Cantu noted that the industry is playing a vital role in advancing Guyana’s workplace safety and health culture as more companies adopt the necessary protocols.

“We focus on an integrated framework of system processes and tools that we can use, and behaviours that we reinforce through leadership so that collectively and consistently we can aspire to a working environment where truly nobody gets hurt,” Cantu said.

The objective of workplace health and safety is to ensure that accidents and incidents are reduced or eliminated. Industries that utilise machinery are critical areas for these interventions, but there is also a need for a broader focus across all sectors.

As such, the Labour Ministry is working assiduously to ensure companies operating in Guyana implement safety measures through regular site visits.

A walk to observe the International Day of Occupational Safety and Health will be held on April 27 at the ministry, commencing at 06:00 hrs.