The Social Protection Ministry has embarked on a series of consultations aimed at improving the Occupational Safety and Health Regulation of Guyana to specifically cater for persons working in the forestry sector.
The first in this line of activities kicked off earlier this week when the Department of Labour met with stakeholders at Herdmanston Lodge in Georgetown.
Participants in the consultation emanated from the Amerindian Peoples Association, the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Trade Union Congress, and the Bureau of Standards, among others.
During the event, stakeholders were tasked with reviewing a draft Occupational Safety and Health Regulations document proposed by the Labour Department. Upon approval, the amendments are expected to be made under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99:06 of the Laws of Guyana.
Addressing the gathering during the consultation forum was Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer Charles Ogle, who underlined that while having regulations is one step, the implementation of these guidelines is particularly important, and is at the forefront of the Labour Department’s concern.
This is as he noted that the department, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Social Protection Ministry, views the work of the forestry section as high-risk activities which necessitate that safety be of paramount concern.
Ogle expounded that the nature of operations within the forestry sector is characterized by both manual and mechanical labour, which can provide complex challenges, specifically in areas such as harvesting timber, getting it to the roadside, and transporting it to the end user.
The OSH officer related to the gathering that workers in these fields are prone to physical hazards such as climate; noise; hand/arm vibration, which causes white finger disease; and even environmental threats which can range from bites by poisonous snake to allergic reactions to wood or other plants; as well as the possible malfunction of machines, among a long list of potential risks.
He singled out forest workers who fall trees with chainsaws, saying that they are perhaps exposed to the greatest risks in the industry; with tree planters also being at risk from carrying heavy loads of seedlings and planting in awkward positions.
With these factors in mind, the consultations would allow for considerations to be made of the local context, so that the regulations are more realistic. Following the completion of this mission, the recommendations emanating from the sessions are expected to materialize.
