The Ministry of Labour recorded 12 deaths due to industrial accidents in 2014 and these cases are being investigated, according to Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul.
Gopaul said the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) was the leading area for accidents.
During an interview with this newspaper at his office on December 31, Gopaul said management was working with the workers’ union to handle that situation.
He said the mining sector was also a source of concern, because of the isolated areas in which miners operate in sometimes adverse weather conditions, coupled with the limited resources. Nevertheless, he said, “There is no short cut in terms of production and productivity. Safety must be observed.”
According to a document from the ministry, for 2014 there were 421 reported accidents, among which the 12 fatalities occurred. The agricultural sector accounted for 320 of the total accidents for 2014, with the manufacturing sector following with 77.
That document further mentioned that 201 of the reported accidents had already been investigated. When this newspaper asked about the investigations of the remainder, Gopaul said, “All the reported accidents in 2014 are being investigated, especially fatalities,” adding “and if and when we find that employers are culpable we will lay charges.”
The 2014 list of industrial fatalities include: Electrician Ulric Johnson, 23, of Leeds, Number 50 Village, Corentyne, who was electrocuted while cleaning a transformer in a boiler at the Skeldon sugar estate on January 27, 2014. It was reported that Johnson was killed instantly and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Skeldon Hospital. Johnson was wearing protective clothing (a helmet, gloves, safety overalls and boot) at the time of the accident and was said to have had approximately five years of experience in the field.
Miners Clifton Rodrigues of Marudi and Leon Mootoo, 21, of West Berbice died after the mining tunnel they were working in at Mazoa Mountain, Marudi, Region Nine collapsed. It was reported that the men had returned to work in the tunnels, after the mechanical crusher they made use of, was shut down by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Also suffering the same fate were miners Noland Lindie, 42 and Rocklyn Solomon, 32, of Paradise Village, WCB. Lindie was covered in a mining pit that collapsed in an area called White Hole in the Mahdia backdam on October 4, 2014. It was reported that Lindie along with others were working in the pit when they noticed the mud sliding. While the others managed to escape, Lindie, whose boot appeared to be stuck in the mud,
was left behind.
Solomon was working in a pit at Princeville, Potaro River, when the wall of the pit, according to reports, caved in and trapped him beneath the soil.
Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) technician Vijai Gaznabbi, 26, of Lot 33 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge, was electrocuted after he came into contact with a live wire at Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara on November 3, 2014, while working on a utility pole. A taxi driver, who was in the area at the time of the accident, had informed this newspaper that he saw Gaznabbi fall off the post after he made contact with the wire and “Before he fall, I see a blue flash on the post.” It was unclear whether Gaznabbi was wearing protective gear. However, in a statement GT&T said that staff are provided with safety gear relevant to their area of work and implored to use it on every assignment.
Exactly one month after the electrocution of Gaznabbi, labourer Leroy Francis Harris, 25, of Plaisance Squatting Area suffered the same fate. He had been passing down a flex pipe when it came into contact with a live wire which ran from a utility pole to the building he was working on. It was reported that Harris had been shocked earlier on the day he was electrocuted. Some of Harris’s relatives were not convinced that it was his negligence that caused his demise. Additionally, on December 10, Keishan Mahadeo died after he fell from a roof onto a forklift while working as a labourer.
On December 24, Bertram Pollard, who was a BOSAI apprentice mechanic, died after he was crushed by a truck. According to an eyewitness, who was operating a heavy-duty truck in the immediate vicinity, Pollard was servicing an excavator, when the operator of the excavator asked him to stop so he could take some material to the dump, which was not far away. The eyewitness added that Pollard walked about ten yards from the excavator and placed the servicing equipment on the ground. Just then, another truck which had been idling adjacent to the excavator began to move slowly towards the dump site, hitting Pollard on his left shoulder, causing him to fall into the path of the front wheel of the truck.
Compensation
When asked about compensation, Gopaul said there has been some level of compensation. Moreover, he stated that the ministry is working on behalf of relatives of those who died. The minister added that the ministry
has increased benefits in terms of workers’ complaints. He added that nearly $50 million has been collected from employers on behalf of persons who filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour.
Gopaul said in addition to workplace inspections and health and safety inspections, “we continue to represent workers who believe that they have been wrongly treated by employers,” citing the fact that Guyana is the only country in the Caribbean to have signed on to the Inter-national Labour Organization Convention 189 for domestic workers. He said that as a result of that Guyana became a country that has every worker protected under its labour laws. “That is a feat that we can be proud of,” opined Gopaul.
Many relatives of the deceased declined comment when asked whether they had received compensation. However, Harris’s sister told this publication that the family has not yet received compensation, but has heard from the Ministry of Labour in that regard.
Plan for 2015
In 2015, Gopaul said, his ministry will be increasing inspections of plants and factories, and would make inspections of factory boilers mandatory. He noted that the boilers will have to be certified before going into operation, citing concerns over the amount of accidents in the agricultural sector, in particular a fatal accident after a boiler blew up. He said the plan is to see compliance with safety rules.
Gopaul lauded the work done in the area of industrial accidents by his ministry in 2014, owing to inspections and complaints from workers. However, he opined that much more could have been done, “had we been able to locate defaulting employers in the mining sector in particular.” He explained that mining camps move from location to location, “rendering it very difficult to track them down.” Nevertheless he added that the ministry are pursuing those cases.
The minister further mentioned that his ministry is working in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commis-sion to track employers down. He said that the ministry also collaborates with the Guyana Forestry Commission, the National Insurance scheme as well as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, as they move along in the country. Gopaul said because of the collaborative efforts, the Ministry of Labour was able to reach out more.
“We are happy… that our visits last year resulted in us not being able to detect any form of child Labour in the entities we visited,” Gopaul said. Calling this significant, he declared that the ministry continues to put emphasis on children going to school and to completing secondary education.
