An impromptu inspection of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) power station at Bartica on Saturday uncovered hazardous and unsanitary working conditions.
Although a sign stating “Safety starts here” greets visitors on the front wall of the power station, Junior Minister of Social Protection Simona Broomes and a team of Occupational Health and Safety officials found evidence to the contrary, including spilt oil across the floor of the entire facility.
“They did not care about Bartica,” Broomes said, blasting the previous government. “It’s our duty now… If I condemn, as a minister now, it tells you something. The change that we were speaking about is here now. We have to start it and that is why we are checking the length and breadth of Guyana,” she added, while calling the new administration a “government of solution.”
As Minister Broomes toured the power station, her team checked on the equipment and adherence to safety regulations.
From the moment the team stepped into the compound, the members were hit by the sharp smell of crude oil and the deafening sound of the equipment. Upon entering the building, the team found a floor covered in puddles of oil.
Long metal pipes and machine parts that blended with the oil-covered floor demanded that members of the team move slowly and cautiously through the facility. They found heavy duty machinery with oil seeping, loose wires and smaller equipment lying around. The oil spillage was so prominent it seeped outside of the compound and into the workshop at the back.
Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford explained that the situation has been atrocious for a very long time and the only effort made was a plan to relocate the power plant. He said his efforts in this regard have been in vain as most of the possible alternative locations are privately owned.
“It is in the interest of all of Bartica to have the problem solved. We need bigger units,” he said, while noting that power outages have been a prominent problem in the community as available generating units are small and outdated to meet the needs of the area.
One power plant worker expressed his joy at the impromptu visit of Minister Broomes. “When I saw you visit BOSAI, I wondered when you would visit,” the joyful man said as he explained that he was surprised when he saw her walking down the road.
He complained that there are eight workers who are forced to work 12-hour shifts. He also said workers have been enduring the hazardous conditions as they are without other options.
The team also visited the Bartica Police Station and found subpar housing facilities for the stationed police officers. A single room housed all of the ramshackle single and double bunk beds.
An appalled Broomes could not formulate words to describe the situation. “Help me put words together… I can’t describe it,” she stuttered as she explained that the situation was a “mockery” and an “insult” to the people of Bartica.
Also, the Platinum International Hotel and Bar, where an anti-trafficking raid was done, came under the eye of the inspection crew and the unhygienic conditions were highlighted.
As you step into the bar, you are greeted with a stifling scent of beer and cigarettes. The two garbage bins at the entrance of the door and at the bar added to the pungent smell. The ventilation was poor and the lighting absent. Most of the lights were faulty and did not work.
“It’s designed for what is being done here. You can see it,” Broomes said as she cited the conditions of the place.
Earlier in the day, Broomes paid a visit to the BK International Quarry. She expressed her delight in the working conditions that the company offered its staff. “It would be an insult to even compare here [BK] to BOSAI,” she said. “There can little changes here and there but overall it’s exceptional,” she added, while recalling the terrible working conditions she found at BOSAI.
Broomes explained that she will continue to undertake surprise inspections of major companies around the country as she aims to improve working conditions.
