THE Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security yesterday held an Occupational Safety and Health Fair at the Guyana Girl Guides Pavilion, Brickdam, as part of the observance of World Occupation Safety and Health Month, while promoting a preventative safety and health culture.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2103 under the theme “Prevention of Occupational Diseases”.
Participants at the fair included the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Banks DIH, Geddes Grant, the Ministry of Education’s School Health and Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Unit.
The fair included displays of the various safety gear such as helmets, boots, and gloves, as well as nutritional and dietary information, and various testing procedures such as blood pressure and blood sugar testing.
Giving remarks at the opening of the fair, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Mr. Patrick Findlay said that this observance is an integral part of the global strategy of occupational safety and health.
He added that it promotes the creation of a global preventative safety and health culture involving all stakeholders, pointing out that worldwide occupational diseases continue to be the leading cause of work-related deaths.
Mr. Findlay stated that according to the International Labour Organisation, out of 2.34M occupational fatalities every year, only 321,000 are due to accidents, and the remaining 2.02M are caused by various types of work-related diseases.
Impact of occupational diseases
According to him, the inadequate prevention of occupational diseases has profound negative effects not only on workers and their families but also on society at large due to the tremendous cost that it generates.
He stated that occupational diseases result in loss of productivity and the burdening of the social security systems, and all countries need to take steps now to improve their capacity for preventing occupational diseases.
Mr. Findlay explained that deaths and injuries take a particular heavy toll on developing countries where a large number of workers are engaged in hazardous activities such as agriculture, logging and mining.
He said that a healthy worker is a productive worker who contributes significantly to the overall improvement of the economic status of the company, and improvement of the country as a whole.

Awareness
He also noted that this month of observance is an awareness raising campaign on occupational accidents and diseases to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide.
According to him, every worker should enjoy the basic human right of a safe and healthy workplace, and with the collaborative efforts of the ministry, employers and organisations, the fight against this hidden epidemic will have to be placed as a priority on the national agenda.
He informed that his ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to have occupational safety and health implemented in the school curriculum.
Meanwhile, Findlay invited all government agencies, employers and workers to implement a work programme which focuses on the promotion of health among all workers and their families.
Also making remarks on the occasion, Vice President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Mr. Dale Beresforde said that education and knowledge is important because it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that they educate themselves, provide the necessary resources and most importantly take safety and health as an everyday precaution.
Making reference to the theme for the month, Beresforde said that GTUC is concerned in this regard, and he believes in the old adage that prevention is better and cheaper than cure.
According to him, occupational safety and health is a concern because every accident puts a burden on the country’s health sector, which he contended is the most important sector in Guyana.
Highlighting the recent cut to the health sector’s 2013 budget, he stated that every accident or injury in the workplace places an additional burden on the meager resources available.
Prevention of occupational accidents, and a safe and healthy work environment, he said, should be the priority of every single individual and organisation as well as the Government and Opposition.

Mining Sector Fatalities
Beresforde further stated that as the world observes World Occupation Safety and Health Month; in Guyana there has been so far about five reported fatalities in April in the mining sector.
According to him, the Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 32 of 1997 was one of the most comprehensive acts in the Caribbean and still is, but he questioned whether the country has placed enough emphasis on that act and the policing of it.
He said that the act specifically referred to the reporting system, but the question is how many organisations are in compliance with those requirements and are accurately reporting accident statistics to the ministry.
The act, he said, also speaks to a medical surveillance programme, and he rhetorically questioned members of the audience about when last they participated in a medical surveillance programme at their organisation as required by law.
According to him, persons should stop just talking and ensure that they are committed and he pointed out that the GTUC has always been in the forefront advocating safe and healthy work environments. He pointed out that all of their affiliates have within their collective labour agreements, occupational safety and health clauses.
Refusing dangerous work
Beresforde said it should be ensured that every workplace complies with the act and its regulations, and workers should be aware that they have the right, under the act, to refuse dangerous work without fear of reprisal or victimization.
He urged the audience to pledge to make their workplaces a safe and healthy work environment, as they reflect on all those employees who have been injured or killed at their workplace.
In the meantime, balloons were released in remembrance of workers who died and sustained injuries at work.
Moreover, certificates and trophies were distributed to primary and secondary school students who participated in the schools poster and essay competition held by the ministry.