Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn is concerned about safety measures not being adhered to which has resulted in the loss of about four lives monthly on the waterways and at sea due to mishaps and accidents that can be prevented.
“This has a tremendous impact, more significantly on the families, the partners, the children, the mothers, but also on the wider economy and that is unsustainable,” he said.
The minister was speaking at a seminar on Wednesday held by that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) which focused on safety compliance for water vessels.
A release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said that the awareness seminar was held at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports complex on Carifesta Avenue, George-town. It targeted fishermen and was held under the theme ‘Focusing on safety is a worthwhile investment’ with presentations made by members of the Coast Guard, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service and MARAD.
Benn focused on the theme saying that people must not continue to have a ‘happy-go-lucky’ attitude when it comes to safety on the waters, especially with regards to saving and preserving lives. He called for a change in the attitude to safety, noting that, “They have to develop a culture of self awareness and self regulation, they should have safety representatives in the various groupings so that we could have a significant improvement in the sector of our activities,” he said.
In this regard, he said that MARAD had to work much harder to raise the level of awareness and enforcement along with the Coast Guard and marine police.
According to GINA, Minister Benn stated that while he is not satisfied with the pace with which MARAD operates, he noted that they are faced with some limitations with regards to their coverage and capacity in carrying out surveillance and awareness activities. Nonetheless, there is that individual responsibility by the operators and vessel owners.
Director, Maritime Safety, Stephen Thomas reiterated that there are too many accidents occurring on the waterways, and the target of zero lives lost is achievable once systems are in place, and the regulations are adhered to by the operators.
He stressed that the culture the department is trying to break is the belief that a life jacket cannot save a person’s life. Thomas noted that more operators are being charged for negligence and loss of lives.
“The message that we are trying to send here is that safety should not be viewed as a burden. We want you to live safely…we are trying to work with the industry – be it the fishing industry, be it the speed boat industry, even the sea going ships,” he said.
GINA said that the awareness session is expected to be repeated several times to reach all the stakeholders in the maritime sector.
