TWENTY-FIVE local Guyanese businesses on Wednesday were recognised by the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD) for having completed the Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Management System Mentorship Programme.
The businesses, which ranged from law and oil and gas support firms, to janitorial and public relations services, were the inaugural graduates from the programme which already has another 250 businesses currently in training.
Initially started in 2019, the CLBD HSSE programme equips businesses with the tools to implement and sustain HSSE cultures in the workplaces. The training runs for approximately six months, depending on how fast the businesses are able to get through the programme.
“This journey has established our approach to health and safety matters, affirming our commitment to prevent harm and promote safe work practices,” commented Simone Forde, Founder/CEO of SEAJ Ecoclean Services.
SEAJ Ecoclean Services was one of the first businesses to participate in the programme.
“We cannot attain business success without thinking about safety; no system would be sustainable unless it takes into account the most important asset — our people. SEAJ has seen a total transformation of our company with the development and implementation of HSSE manual and policy. We have a clear direction which includes accountability and safety performance and efficiency,” she noted.
Aside from SEAJ, the other graduating businesses were Hughes, Fields and Stoby Corporate Services Inc, Sagacity Inc, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Herdmanston Lodge, Grand Coastal Inn, Queensway Group Inc, Marine Traders Atlantic Inc, Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc, Zeco Industrial Engineering, Symmetry Brokerage & Logistics Inc, Strategic Recruitment Solutions Inc, Silvie’s Industrial, Puran Brothers Disposal Inc, Pinnacle Business Services Inc, IMEX Inc, Arrow Oilfield Services Incorporated, B&J Civil Works, CAMSOL INC, Chung’s Global Enterprise, Environmental Management Consultants Inc (EMC), GR Engineering Company, Ground Structures Engineering Consultants Inc, Guyana Logistics & Support Services Inc, and Guyana Oil and Gas Support Services.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton and Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Oneidge Walrond, were also present at the graduation ceremony and delivered remarks.
Also attending the ceremony were CLBD Director, Natasha Gaskin-Peters; CLBD HSSE Coordinator, Lavonia Springer and Senior Quality HSSE Officer, Akil Lewis.
Minister Hamilton in his remarks noted that the HSSE training programme fits in well with the Ministry of Labour’s (MoL)-own programme of rigorously tackling OSH at work places across the country, particularly through increased capacity at the ministry and decentralised monitoring.
“The capacity-building programme has resulted in the department having seven OSH staff members who have successfully completed the ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training programme and are certified to audit our work places in keeping with international standards,” the minister noted.
He emphasised that the government is concerned about the safety and health of workers in all spheres of economic activity.
“This occasion is an important one because of the importance of workplace safety and health, and the need for building capacity of staff in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), coupled with the recognition of their achievement in this regard,” Hamilton commented.
Minister Walrond in her address highlighted the important role HSSE plays in developing Guyanese businesses to be ready to capitalise on opportunities in the growing oil and gas sector.
“The oil and gas industry has already catapulted our economy to one of the fastest-growing in the world. We do realise, however, that for our companies to be able to access these opportunities, they must – among other things – build the capacity to implement health, safety and security systems to the standard required for doing business in the energy sector,” she noted.
She added that: “This HSSE mentorship programme established and run by the CLBD I think brings contemporary best practice in safety and health to complement the statutory framework that we established a quarter of a century ago when the oil and gas industry was probably not within our contemplation.”
