Labour Ministry committed to raising safety standards

…as non-fatal accidents drop in oil and gas sector in 2025; 32 workplace fatalities in 2024

There has been a drop in non-fatal accidents in Guyana this year, according to Assistant Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer Roydon Croal, while workplace fatalities rose in 2024. Speaking at the sod turning ceremony for the Occupational Safety and Health Centre of Excellence in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Friday, Croal pointed out that the Ministry has been actively working to promote safety through training sessions, lectures and seminars, and by enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.
“Occupational safety is important for many reasons: morally, because every worker has the right to return home safely. Legally, because there are laws mandated; and financially, because accidents cause businesses and families fear. So when workers feel safe, they work better, they work smarter, and most importantly, they live longer,” Croal said. He noted that during 2025, safety awareness inspections in mining camps were carried out in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). The Ministry has also hosted a health and safety symposium.
“We also intensified our efforts offshore. In 2024, the Ministry conducted nine offshore inspections. So far in 2025, four inspections have already been completed. Unfortunately, in 2024, we saw a rise in workplace fatalities. Thirty-two lives were lost on the job. We also investigated 104 non-fatal accidents in agriculture, which is the most affected sector. In the oil and gas sector specifically, 11 non-fatal accidents would have occurred in 2024, and two would have been reported so far in 2025. That is why we must remain committed to raising safety standards, so the Ministry is not alone in this work,” Croal pointed out.