60% increase in workplace fatalities recorded last year

Guyana last year witnessed a hike in workplace fatalities when compared to the previous year, with the Labour Ministry recording 32 deaths across various sectors.

This was revealed by Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton on Tuesday during his ministry’s year-end press conference.

In 2020, he said the ministry recorded 32 workplace deaths followed by 27 in 2021, 21 in 2022 and 20 in 2023.

During the press briefing, Hamilton revealed that despite the ministry’s efforts, there has been an increase of workplace fatalities in 2024, with 32 cases being recorded. This figure represents an overall increase of 60 per cent when compared to data collected in 2023, he added.

Most of the workplace fatalities occur in the mining and construction sectors, he further noted.

In a bid to reduce workplace accidents and fatalities, the ministry’s Occupational, Safety and Health (OSH) Department conducted over 1300 workplace inspections last year.

Meanwhile, as it relates to non-fatal accidents, a total of 144 cases were investigated. According to the minister, there has been a decline in the amount of non-fatal accidents recorded last year.

Moreover, while the ministry did not disclose if any employer has been held accountable for unsafe workplace practices that would have resulted in fatalities, Head of the OSH department Gweneth King noted that to date, only one company has been charged for a non-fatal accident.