April observation to focus on avoiding workplace accidents

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April observation to focus on avoiding workplace accidents
Guyana Chronicle
1 April 2007

BEGINNING today, the government will heighten its focus on improving
conditions and safety at the workplace to counter work-related
accidents and diseases.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said the thrust coincides with
Guyana’s observance of Occupational Safety and Health (OS&H) Month,
under the theme ‘Safe practices, healthy workforce, increased
production’.

GINA said the administration is concerned about the increasing cases of
accidents at workplaces and, to address the issue, has been advising
that OS&H committees be established and advocating that it is
everyone’s responsibility to be actively involved in the monitoring of
the work environment.

OS&H Month will be launched at Linden Hospital Complex in Region Ten
(Upper Demerara/Berbice) and, as part of the activities, the
responsible department in the Ministry of Labour will emphasise the
importance through seminars and lectures countrywide, GINA said.

According to GINA, Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir and staff of the
National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH)
are expected to visit the Aroaima Mining Complex and the Russian
Aluminum Company (RUSAL) to conduct similar exercises with management
personnel and employees.

GINA said Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T), Guyana Power &
Light (GPL) and the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industries
(CAGI) will also be hosting series for their respective staffers on the
importance of practising OS&H.

On April 27, individuals and companies will be honoured for their
exemplary practices at a national awards ceremony and symposium, GINA
announced.

It said workplace hazards and exposures cause more than 160 million
workers to fall ill annually and the global estimate of work-related
deaths is about 1.1 million per year.

GINA said, in 1997, the Guyana Parliament passed the OS&H Act and it
was promulgated in 1999.

The law being a major movement in the transformation of the labour
sector, the government since established a National Occupational Safety
and Health Council, which is helping to formulate regulations to
enforce it.

With the assistance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO),
Guyana is preparing regulations that relate to occupational diseases,
construction safety, personal protective equipment, mining and
chemicals, GINA said.

Other regulations are being prepared for the agriculture, forestry,
mining, and industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Meantime, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention (Number 155)
and Recommendation (Number 164), both of 1981, provide for the adoption
of national occupational safety and health policies.

GINA said Guyana ratified Convention Number 161 of 1985, which provides
for the establishment of enterprise-level, occupational health services
designed to contribute to the implementation of the OS&H policy.

The convenant describes the actions to be taken by governments and
within enterprises, to promote OS&H and improve the work environment,
the agency said.