–Ambassador Lynch says

WITH citizens being a country’s most valuable resource, and given the rapid and revolutionary pace of Guyana’s economy, local and foreign businesses should take health and safety more seriously.

This is according to United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana Sarah Ann Lynch while addressing the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana) Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) Conference on Tuesday.

The conference, held under the theme ‘Building Resilience: Navigating Health and Safety Challenges in the Modern Workplace’, took place at the Marriott Hotel, and targetted Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Health and Safety Executives (HSEs), security professionals, and technicians from both the private and public sectors.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Lynch affirmed that creating a safe and healthy work environment is a moral obligation and a legal one.

The Ambassador also said that she is satisfied with US companies’ track record here in Guyana, and underscored the value of maintaining a safe workspace.

In noting that these companies’ world-leading standards are attainable with the help of their Guyanese partners, Ambassador Lynch said: “It’s the people that will take this country forward to the next level, so it’s very important that we protect them in all industries across Guyana.”
According to Ambassador Lynch, she’d noticed when she first came here that most Guyanese tended to overlook health and safety, but she has since seen significant progress in that area as time progressed.
“I’m happy to see the strides that have been made on working conditions” the US career diplomat said.
She highlighted that employers must continue to push for an ideal workplace, including investing in modern equipment, top-of-the-line safety gear, and clear standards, as people are becoming more conscious and desirous of safe work environments.

SAFETY IS KEY

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton challenged companies to consider how they can uphold fundamental rights in a secure and healthy workplace.

“A worker who loses their life on the job is not a statistic; it is a person,” the Minister noted as he made the point that these people should not be treated like numbers but rather as someone’s child, or the sole breadwinner in a family.

The Minister pushed for employers to adapt and pay attention to that crucial topic, noting that there are new challenges presented every day, and as such, previously used approaches may not be applicable in the present.

Although since 2020, there has been a steady decline in the incidence of occupational fatalities, the Labour Minister still raised some concerns about the safety regulations in the areas where these accidents frequently occur.
According to statistics, there were 32 fatal workplace accidents in 2020, with the majority occurring in the mining, construction, and agricultural sectors. Additionally, there were 27 fatalities in 2021 and 21 in 2022, with the bulk occurring in the aforementioned industries.

For 2023, two fatalities have been reported in the marine industry, one each from mining, construction, and machinery repair.
Apart from calling on workers to demand safe work spaces, the Minister continued by saying that these fatalities have been the subject of thorough investigations, and the reports should be delivered to him soon.
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On the other hand, the President of AmCham Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Toni Sirju-Ramnarine asserted that workplaces should aim to provide safe and healthy work conditions given the changing nature of the world and the modernization of business practices.

Ramnarine pointed out that businesses must establish psychologically safe environments because of biases towards marginalized communities such as people with disabilities, women, and people with diverse sexual orientations.

She also urged employers to take a multifaceted approach to workplace health and safety rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy. (Trina Williams)