In a joint effort to ensure safer work environments, the Ministries of Labour and Health along with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc (GMSTCI) teamed up to conduct several mining inspections in Region Eight and to sensitize both employers and employees on optimal occupation, health and safety practices. Seventy- seven miners from six mining camps benefited from “occupational safety and health talks /awareness sessions emergency response training, and the distribution of mosquito nettings.”
The exercise was part of the many activities being conducted by the Ministry of Labour as part of the observance of Occupation Health and Safety (OSH) month 2024.
According to a release from the Ministry of Labour, the exercise saw the distribution of “OSH brochures concerning Accident Prevention, Hazards in the Workplace, Noise, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the duties of the OSH Department as well as posters urging mining and mercury effects”
Moreover, the Ministry of Health distributed mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria while GMSTCI conducted presentations focused on providing information on emergency response preparedness and First Aid in Mining Areas
OSH month 2024 is being observed under the theme, “We are running out of time: Ensuring Safety and Health Now in a Changing Climate.”