–Labour Minister says, encourages a national conversation on this topic, Guyanese to pursue modern training programmes in this area

OCCUPATIONAL Safety and Health (OSH) should be a national conversation which ought to be expanded from just the work environment and into homes as well, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton observed at the launch of OSH Month 2024.

The ministry’s OSH Department hosted a breakfast meeting with several OSH stakeholders for the launch at the Guyana Police Officers’ Mess Annex in Georgetown, where several persons opined that more training in this regard needs to be offered to young people in the country.

This year, OSH month is being observed under the theme, “We are running out of time: Ensuring safe and healthy work now in a changing climate.”
Minister Hamilton, in brief remarks, said OSH should be of interest to every Guyanese. He encouraged youths to pursue training opportunities in modern programmes, including that of OSH, and noted that steps need to be taken to expand study options for young people. OSH should be a national conversation, he posited.

General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress Lincoln Lewis commended the ministry’s OSH Department on its efforts, and noted that more needs to be done to ensure workers’ safety across the board. “The Government of Guyana has the responsibility to empower the Occupational Safety and Health Department with the requisite staff and support services that they can run across this country.”

Representing the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana, Carvil Duncan expressed that in the past, accident rates in workplaces was not as high as it is today. He said this is because there’s a new workforce consisting of young people who have received limited training in OSH.

He remarked that the tripartite committee has a role to play in ensuring that training is provided for the youth. “Whether we accept it or not, Guyana is a young nation, and the future of Guyana lies with the youth. So we need to ensure that they are properly trained.”

Also at the meeting was Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh who remarked that the PSC plays an integral role in workplace safety, and working with the ministry in ensuring that the safety practices that are being adhered to at workplaces meet the international standard of a safe workplace environment.

He noted as well that training is critical in this sector. “Very often, because of the limited manpower resources that we have in this country and the rapid pace at development that is taking place, we tend to bring people quickly on board, don’t offer them the requisite training and put them on sometimes very high risk jobs to work on a daily basis without offering them the requisite training,” Singh expressed.

This, he said, not only puts that worker at risk, but other persons he works with as well. He emphasised the importance of training and said that the PSC will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Labour and other agency to aid in bringing awareness to and improving OSH for employees.