Take safety seriously’ – Griffith urges construction workers

Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith on Thursday urged construction workers to build a new and more safety focused workplace culture. The minister’s remarks were made as the Ministry of Labour launched a nationwide campaign aimed at strengthening Guyana’s workplace safety culture, with the construction industry identified as the first sector to undergo education and inspections. Speaking at a workplace safety seminar, Griffith said the initiative is intended to reinforce the message that safety is everybody’s business. The minister encouraged employers within the construction sector to enforce safety at every level. Persons gathered at the seminar. “There are some issues in Guyana and some things that we have to confront. And one of them is our culture of safety and how we approach safety. Safety is everybody’s business and I keep emphasising, we need to take our safety seriously,” Griffith said. The minister said the seminar held on Thursday at the Officers’ Mess, Georgetown, is the sixth safety symposium held in the region. He explained that these are not just meetings, but gatherings that provide workers and employers with relevant information to understand that safety in workplaces are not a suggestion but a necessity. “We need to put safety first. We need to take our safety seriously,” the minister said, noting that the ministry plans to host safety symposiums in every region as part of the campaign. “Not only do we intend to bring awareness but we want to analyse what is the safety culture in every region, so that we can make the direct interventions,” the minister said. The construction industry has been selected as the first high-risk sector for the initiative, with the minister appealing directly to contractors, builders and site supervisors to lead by example in promoting safe work practices. The minister acknowledged that occupational, health and safety in Guyana has been a challenge, particularly because the trickle-down effect expected is not always enforced but that is where the ministry will step in. He said his ministry is continuing its efforts to visit worksites and ensure protocols are observed. Attendees engaged in activities at the seminar. He said every individual on a worksite has a role to play in protecting lives, urging those in attendance to influence workers around them to follow proper safety procedures. “We are hoping that the change in your safety culture will begin with you,” he said. The minister also cautioned against behaviours that could compromise workplace safety, including reporting for duty while impaired, stressing that employers must remain vigilant in reducing risks on construction sites.