Guyana: Labour Ministry raises concern over workplace incidents

Georgetown, Guyana: The Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Guyana has shared its concern over the workplace incidents happening in the country. As per the update from the ministry, Occupational Safety and the Health Department of the Labour Ministry launched investigation into a severe workplace incident that occurred on Tuesday, January 8, 2023, at the Sachi Building, Lot 136 “E” Regent Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, owned by Termanan Rankumar.

According to the update, the senior occupational safety and health (OSH) officer Johana Vaughn visited the scene and began an investigation after hearing about the incident. So far, it has been revealed that Leon Turpin, a supervisor, was seriously injured while performing his duties. He was on an aluminium scaffold trying to install a pressure plate on the glass frame at the front of the building when the pressure plate touched a live electrical wire.

Turpin was injured and faced burns to his hands as well as other parts of his body and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s emergency unit. Vaughn, an OSH officer, paid a brief visit to the injured man while he was being treated and interviewed him about the near-fatal incident.

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton continued to express his concern about workplace incidents/ injuries and highlights the importance of good workplace safety as well as health practices. He went on to say that his ministry, through its OSH Department, is aggressively addressing unsafe workplace conditions and unsafe work practices through inspections and audits to reduce the number of accidents that occur in both formal and informal economies.

Minister Hamilton wished Turpin a speedy recovery as well as confirmed that a thorough investigation will be conducted to answer the many unanswered questions.