‘Putting Safety First’ initiative launched as Labour Ministry moves to strengthen compliance

Aimed at providing greater understanding and compliance within the nation’s construction sector, the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning has launched a new initiative to spread awareness.

The ‘Putting Safety First’ initiative will be rolled out in every region where massive construction is unfolding.

Occupational Safety and Health Officer Darwin Bourne told the News Room that the campaign stems from the rapid infrastructure expansion currently underway across the country.

“We are currently experiencing an infrastructure boom in Guyana, and there are a lot of hazards that are associated with it. Our desired position is to create a safer future for workers in general,” Bourne said.

According to Bourne, officers will be sensitising contractors, construction workers, and the general public on how to identify and control workplace hazards, noting that the risks vary depending on the type of work being performed.

“When you’re excavating, the hazards are totally different from when you are elevating or erecting a building,” he said, adding that officers will assess both process safety and personal safety on construction sites,” he said.

He said that compliance is a shared responsibility between employers and employees, and urged all stakeholders, including unions and other organisations, to come on board.

“Safety is not the ministry’s business… safety is your business. The act is designed for you, as a worker and as an employer, to have a safer future,” Bourne said.

He said contractors are obligated by law to notify the relevant authority before commencing construction. The notice must include the length of the contract, the number of workers, the type of construction, and drawings. He explained that sometimes persons do not know the protocol and that is where this initiative also comes into play.

Officers will be deployed across Region Four and other regions, conducting inspections, investigations, and training, while also exploring additional channels to gather information from workers and employers.

The campaign is slated to run for the remainder of the year.