AT noon on January 13, the whistle at Rose Hall Estate in Canje will once again produce a deafening sound. It is a solemn reminder of an industrial accident at the estate 41 years ago. On January 13, 1970, seven men lost their lives in the clarifier at the estate.  Clarifiers are large tanks that are used to settle heated cane juice before evaporation. After a period of time, toxic substances called mud builds up in the clarifier. Hence, clarifiers need to be periodically cleaned to purge the toxic substances. It was during this cleaning phase that led to the fatal deaths of the seven workers. As a result of the fatal accident, Sir Edward Luckhoo, the acting Governor General of Guyana, ordered a Commission of Inquiry. Sir Kenneth Stoby headed the Commission of Enquiry. The Commission issued its report in May of 1970. It concluded that the men died from the dangerous gases in the clarifier such as hydrogen sulphide. This gas was caused by fermentation that existed from the presence of mud and other matter in the clarifier.
The Commissioners blamed Bookers (now GuySuco) for its failure to ensure compliance with the Factories (Safety) Regulations of 1953. These regulations clearly stipulated that workers must be provided with breathing apparatus and/or safety belts and ropes when cleaning the clarifier. The Report also faulted the company for other failures. For instance, the process foreman and cleaners did not ensure that the mud valve was dismantled.  This was a necessary step before the workers entered the clarifier, as required by the usual procedures.
The Report called for, inter alia, adequate training to workers who are charged with the responsibility of cleaning clarifiers; written instructions to workers on proper procedures for the cleaning of equipment and a record kept of the individuals who have been issued these instructions; and more frequent factory inspection by qualified officers of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Clearly, some of these recommendations, if implemented today could remedy some of the problems that we faced last year.
Last year alone, 24 persons were killed as a direct result of industrial accidents, compared with 14 deaths recorded in year 2009. Most of these deaths occurred in the mining sector, which recorded 14 deaths, followed by forestry with 4 deaths.  The most widely reported accident in 2010 was the gruesome death of a Barama Company Limited employee. His remains were found in a wood chipper machine.
The increase in industrial accidents has risen by 400% since 2007 when the Ministry of Labour reported 5 fatal accidents. Although most of the fatal accidents are in the mining sector, there are still many serious accidents in the agricultural sector.
However, while the deadliest jobs are in the mining and forestry sectors, industrial accidents were most prevalent in the agricultural sector with over 900 occurring last year. Most of these accidents involve workers from GuySuCo. The large number of accidents now reported could be seen as a reflection of better reporting mechanisms in place after the Commission of Enquiry was ordered in 1970.  Subsequently, the Government passed the Occupation Health and Safety Law in 1997. However, the new legislation came twenty-seven years after the accident at Rose Hall Estate. These measures have heightened awareness of the need for safety in the work place. However, it has not resulted in a decline in fatal accidents and a reduction in the total number of industrial accidents. What is needed is to implement the provisions of the law. More enforcement of our safety laws will ensure compliance.