Concerns raised over increased workplace fatalities in agri sector

…AmCham to raise awareness on workplace safety

Concerns over workplace deaths and mishaps in the agriculture sector are a matter of great concern for the Labour Ministry. This was revealed by Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Consultant at the Ministry, Gwenneth King, and the Minister responsible for Labour, Joseph Hamilton.

The announcement was made on Thursday at the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) of Guyana’s third annual Health, Safety, Security & Environment Conference 2022 held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel under the theme “People as the Solution, Safety Starts at Home.”
Based on statistics provided by the OHS Consultant at the Ministry, there has been a decrease in both the number of workplace deaths and accidents in 2021. However, she revealed that there was an increase in workplace deaths and mishaps in the agriculture sector for the year 2021.

For the year 2020, three fatal workplace accidents were recorded, whereas in 2021, four such accidents were recorded, making the agriculture sector the only sector to record an increase in workplace fatalities.
“We noticed that there has been an increase in the number of fatalities in the agriculture sector, and we have to pay attention to that. In fact, we plan to do so this year,” King said.
While concerns have always been driven towards the mining and construction sectors pertaining to workplace fatalities, the subject Minister has said it is his belief that more deaths are occurring in the agriculture sector, but those are happening silently and not being brought to the public’s attention.
“Once we focus on mining and construction and those areas where deaths are occurring, I believe more deaths are occurring in agriculture, but it is happening silently. I believe that,” he said.
He noted that the Ministry would continue to focus on the mining and construction sectors, but would add the agriculture and forestry sector to the list of concerns.
“Our focus this year will continue to be in the mining and construction, and we will be including agriculture and forestry,” he revealed.
As such, he said, he has engaged numerous agriculture agencies in reviewing the work done in the sector. Consequently, the Minister noted that a joint committee would examine the cause of workplace fatalities at the root source, to address the issue.
“And therefore, recognising that, we have established a joint technical committee with all the agencies that oversee agriculture: NARI, GRDB, Rice Producers’ Association, the whole lot,” he said.
The Minister, in his speech addressing the conference, admitted that most of the deaths could have been avoided if proper workplace safety measures had been in place. He emphasised that the issue of poor workplace safety measures is a national issue that should be addressed.
He said, “Most of the deaths could have been avoided. The issue for us at the Ministry of Labour is not an employer-employee issue; it is a national issue that we have to collectively arrest.”

AmCham’s support
Meanwhile, AmCham President Devindra Kissoon explained that AmCham’s Annual HSSE Conference would act as a permanent platform to showcase Guyana’s serious approach to HSSE practices in the workplace. He said he expected the conference would be much larger next year, with the objective being to raise awareness, demonstrate the importance of, and to have regular conversations about, the importance of HSSE improvements in the workplace.
Speaking at the conference, Kissoon said, “There are a few things that AmCham hopes to achieve though this platform. First is to raise awareness about workplace safety… From a commercial standpoint, there is a strong correlation between workers’ productivity and employer profitability in having a safe and effective workplace. Not only do systems and procedures increase efficiency, but there is a huge and tangible benefit for everyone who is in a model workplace to take pride in their environment.”
He noted that, after raising awareness, the issue then becomes how to bring about change. “No one likes change…we are set in our ways,” he said, adding that while doing research on workplace accidents, he found that most of these accidents occur to people that have been on the worksite for 20 years or more.
He pointed to the fact that the longer a person is on the job, the more complacent they become, and expressed hope that the body would be a beacon of motivation that would encourage and steer local companies towards increasing their focus on OSH. (G2)