TWO recent plane crashes are among several accidents which the Ministry of Social Protection’s Occupational Safety and Health (OS&H) Department is actively investigating.
The OS&H Department is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, encouraging and enforcing the practice of good safety and health standards.

The ministry noted in a release that the four recent accidents, which resulted in deaths and injuries to employees, include last Thursday’s plane crash in which Captain Randy Liverpool of Domestic Aviation, died at the Eteringbang Airstrip in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni region when his aircraft fell into the jungle while he attempted to land there.

The body is also investigating the accident involving Captain Lincoln Gomez who was injured during a plane crash aback Canal Number Two last Monday night. Police Constable Mark Grimmond, the lone passenger on board the Cessna 182, is also currently recovering from the accident.

The ministry stated, too, that it is also investigating the death of Andre Park who died after he was reportedly crushed by a log which fell from a machine in the Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice region last week.
In addition, the death of 17-year-old Romeo Ruben, who also died when the eastern wall of the Gold Hill Backdam mining pit at Upper Mazaruni suddenly collapsed recently, is under investigation.

OS&H Officer Dwain Vyfhuis and Senior OS&H Officers, Roydon Croal, Neville Nicholas and Maxean Bess from the OS&H department, are currently investigating the four cases.
The ministry said that to date, the officers have taken the necessary steps by writing the various police stations, hospitals and the Forestry Department requesting information on the incidents. Interviews were also done with witnesses. “On completion of the investigations, recommendations will be made to prevent reoccurrence,” the agency said.

The OS&H Department reminded employers that according to the laws of Guyana, any accident arising out of and in the course of the employment of any worker, causing loss of life to such worker or disables such worker for more than a year from earning full wages at the place of his employment at the time of such accident, written notice of the accident in the Form, accompanied by the particulars set out in the First Schedule, shall forthwith in the case of paragraph (a) and within four days in the case of paragraph (b), be sent by the employer to the Authority and the committee, safety and health representative or trade union, if any.

The OS&H Department is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, encouraging and enforcing the practice of good safety and health standards.
The objective of the department is to improve working conditions and environment in Guyana with the emphasis on preventative rather than curative measures.