The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning on Thursday continued its nationwide “Putting Safety First in the Construction Sector” campaign with a construction safety seminar for employers, contractors, supervisors and workers in Region Four.
Held at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe in Georgetown, the seminar forms part of the ministry’s ongoing effort to strengthen occupational safety standards and promote a culture of workplace safety across Guyana.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith told the gathering that the initiative was developed to address the country’s approach to workplace safety through education and awareness.
The campaign is being rolled out region-by-region to educate stakeholders on the importance of prioritising safety before moving into enforcement through workplace inspections.
“You may ask yourselves, why are we doing this now? It has led me to understand that there are some issues in Guyana that we have to confront frontally, and one of them is our culture of safety and how we approach safety. Safety is everybody’s business,” the minister stated.
“Not only do we intend to bring awareness, but we want to analyse what the safety culture is in every region so that we can make direct interventions,” Minister Griffith added.
He urged participants to become ambassadors for workplace safety by encouraging workers and fellow contractors to comply with occupational safety standards.
He also reminded those gathered of the importance of remaining free from alcohol and drugs while on the job, noting that the issue is addressed in the safety manual distributed during the seminar.
Following the education campaign, the ministry will begin inspections at construction sites to assess compliance with occupational safety and health regulations.
Similar safety campaigns will be expanded to other high-risk sectors, including mining and agriculture, as the ministry works to build a national culture where safety is a shared responsibility.
“We are hoping that by the end of this entire exercise, we have a new culture of Guyanese who are serious about their safety and serious about the people who work for them. Together, we can all benefit from a country where safety is everyone’s priority,” he said.