Although its investigation has been completed and a number of recommendations made, the Ministry of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Consultant, Gwenneth King yesterday told Stabroek News that the department is awaiting advice from the ministry’s legal advisor on the way forward as it relates to sanctions on the Gafoors Hardware Store at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, concerning the death of one of its employees, Cindy Jattan.
Contacted yesterday to inquire as to whether the company would have to face sanctions in connection with Jattan’s death where a storage rack had fallen on her and pinned her to the ground while she was on duty, King replied, “We are awaiting advice from our legal advisor but we are working along with Gafoors and the recommendations that we made to see that they work with it.”
It was said that Jattan who worked as a bond clerk at the company, was sitting at her desk located under the rack when it collapsed and pinned her to the ground on the afternoon of August 26. Immediately after the incident, the ministry launched an investigation which was completed two weeks ago.
Based on the investigation, Gafoors was ordered to make some changes and implement some strategies which were recommend by the ministry’s OSH department. Some of those recommendations include the forming of a safety committee in the workplace, as well as frequent checks and maintenance of racks in the area.
“Records are to be made available to show inspections or maintenance of the racks by a qualified and competent engineer who must verify the structural integrity… a rack inspection maintenance programme must be implemented throughout the facilities,” Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton said at the release of the investigation’s findings two weeks ago.
In order to oversee that the recommendations are implemented by the company, Hamilton said that the OSH department will continuously follow up with Gafoors and that a time frame was given for them to be implemented.
