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Guyana Safety Standards not appropriate for main industries – US State Dept. Report
Kaieteur News – The US State Department’s 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Guyana has outlined that the country’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards are not appropriate for the main industries. While the report did not specify these industries, it is no secret that Guyana’s main industries include but are not limited to gold, diamond, bauxite and timber. The report further spoke to the fact that Guyana failed to effectively enforce its OSH laws.
US-state-department
The Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, recently alluded to the fact that the country is in need of more robust enforcement and updated OSH and Labour laws. This publication would have reported that the government is currently drafting new and amended OSH and Labour laws, and can expect a draft by the second quarter of this year (June).
Hamilton had disclosed that Guyana recorded 32 workplace deaths in 2020, with a population of just 750,000, adding that this situation cannot continue. Further, he stated that there were 300 workplace accidents also reported last year. “How many persons died silently in 2020 in this country? Thirty-two in a population of 760,000, we can’t afford that. How many persons lost limbs and were sick because of injuries at work sites? … over 300,” Hamilton had stressed.
The US State Department report would have also highlighted that in addition to Guyana’s poor OSH standards, the subject Ministry did not have enough “inspectors” (Labour and OSH officers), to enforce the existing laws effectively. “Labour inspections carried out during the year targeted all sectors, including agriculture, mining, and construction. Ministry follow-up(s) of labour inspection findings varied, and compliance among employers was also inconsistent,” the report stated.
On a good note, it did state that “…the law provides that categories of workers have the right to remove themselves from unsafe work environments without jeopardising their employment, and authorities effectively protected employees in these situations.”
The administration has rolled out an OSH campaign to ensure there is compliance in the private and public sector, in all ten Administrative Regions of Guyana.
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