Twenty-eight-year-old Jermaine Hercules, a welder from Airy Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) lost his life on Friday after falling off a 30-foot building at Cane Grove, ECD.
Details surrounding the incident remain unclear, but it was reported that Hercules left for work on Friday morning, as usual, but his relatives later received a telephone call informing them of the unfortunate accident.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the fall.
The incident comes amid increasing concerns over workplace safety in Guyana, especially in light of several recent fatalities. In July, the Labour Ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department launched a nationwide safety sensitisation programme aimed at preventing workplace accidents.
This initiative, developed in collaboration with Guyana Power and Light (GPL), seeks to reinforce the need for conducting risk assessments on job sites before operations begin.
Gweneth King, a consultant with the OSH Department, emphasised the importance of these assessments, particularly in high-risk industries like construction. The initiative also focuses on educating workers about the importance of wearing proper protective gear and adhering to safety protocols to prevent accidents. The ongoing effort addresses widespread concerns about workplace safety, including the risk of electrocution, which has been the cause of multiple deaths this year.
