Govt in dire need of occupational safety and health officers – Labour Minister

…looking to make OSH scholarships mainstream

Efforts are ongoing to make Occupational Health and Safety programmes mainstream at major institutions, such as the University of Guyana and Government programmes like the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), or Coursera.
This has been disclosed by Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, who contends that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is considered one of the top-ranking professions of the future.
Referring to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) assessment done on the 11 most important jobs for the future, the minister said OSH ranks the second most important.
Minister Hamilton has underscored the need for employee safety in workplaces as Guyana’s economy expands, noting that the likelihood of mishaps occurring in different sectors is higher today than it had been just a few short years ago.
“When I came here (took office in 2020), there were only nine persons. Since then, representation has been made, and so it has allowed for the complement of officers to be thirty-two… Studies done suggest that we need OSH officers in the hundreds across the public sector and private sector, so we have to start at schools, doing the type of education and making information available,” the Labour Minister has said.

Noting that OSH is not a profession that is known like many others, the minister used the opportunity to urge young people to seek out opportunities to learn more about OSH in every sector, and be a part of this growing profession.
“We still have hundreds of people who are going to the University (University of Guyana); they’re pursuing professions that have already died, is dying, and will die. They’re not professions for the future, so we need to re-orient and redirect people who’s going to university to pay attention to what the labour force will need in five years and ten years…I would say one of the most important professions now in this country in all sectors is Occupational Safety and Health officers,” Hamilton detailed.
April is being observed as Occupational Safety and Health Month, and the Ministry of Labour is set to roll out several nationwide activities aimed at enhancing health and safety standards in workplaces. This year’s theme, “We are running out of time: Ensuring Safe and Healthy work now in a changing climate”, will highlight occupational risks exacerbated by climate change such as heat stress, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and air pollution. The holistic decision aims to educate employers and employees on how they can better protect themselves from heat-related illnesses.
This will be done through various mediums, including the hosting of seminars, workplace engagements, the OSH Annual Walk; and inspections at mining, construction and agriculture sites in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
The Labour Minister has reminded that safety in the workplace is a fundamental right of all employees, and employers must take responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. He remarked that the year is in its first quarter and there have already been an alarming number of deaths from workplace mishaps. He emphasized that a safe workplace not only protects workers from accidents and injuries, but also leads to increased productivity and morale. (G1)