Labour Ministry inspects mining operations in Reg. 7

Over 100 miners across seventeen mining operations benefited from an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) awareness and inspection exercise conducted in the gold mining areas of Puruni, Region 7.

The team carrying out the activity comprised Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Officer Mr. Naipaul Persaud, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Safety Officer Mr. Stokeley Roberts, and Ministry of Health (MOH) Officer Ms. Lallbachan.

Areas visited included Rock Creek, Mara Mara, Tiger Creek, Black Water, Needle Island, and Peter’s Mines. During the engagement, miners were educated on the importance of complying with Occupational Safety and Health and Environmental Regulations.

Key benefits discussed included maintaining safe work grounds to reduce accidents and fatalities, improving environmental conditions to limit pollution and vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, and reducing operational downtime caused by accidents, cease-work orders, and penalties.

Some of the issues addressed were:

• Development of an OSH policy and implementation programme

• Maintenance of an accident register

• Maintenance of clean camps and surroundings

• Adequate tree clearance around operations

• Proper waste disposal

• Availability of adequate toilet facilities, drainage, and first-aid kits

• Safe pit wall slope angles and benching based on soil type and pit depth

• Emergency response planning

• Proper entry and exit of pits

• Working at safe distances from the pit face

• Safe storage of overburden away from pit faces

• Conducting safety inspections before and during mining operations

Relevant brochures and posters were distributed, including materials on mercury health effects, accident prevention, workplace hazards, proper use of PPEs, emergency response procedures, and safe mining practices. Treated mosquito nets were also provided to help reduce the spread of vector-borne diseases in mining camps.