The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, through its Occupational Safety and Health Department, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has formally commenced and is now intensifying the “Putting Safety First” Campaign.
This national initiative began with a focus on the construction sector, and the Ministry will embark on a nationwide outreach programme targeting the construction sector across all ten administrative regions. This is in recognising the industry’s rapid growth and the importance of ensuring that every worker operates in a safe and healthy environment.
As such, “Putting Safety First” seeks to improve awareness, encourage compliance and promote a proactive safety culture.
These engagements are designed to bring occupational safety and health awareness directly to contractors, supervisors, workers and other stakeholders within the sector.
The regional outreach programme will adopt various approaches. One fundamental aspect of each regional engagement will focus on education and awareness through Occupational Safety and Health seminars, where participants will receive practical guidance on workplace hazards, risk management, legal requirements, and best practices for maintaining safe construction sites.
Through this combined approach of education and further on-site engagement, the Ministry aims to foster a culture in which safety is proactively integrated into every stage of construction activity, ensuring that workers can contribute to Guyana’s development in safe and healthy working environments.
While construction is the campaign’s first focus, “Putting Safety First” is intended to become a long-term national initiative that will eventually expand to other high-risk industries. This further reinforces the Ministry’s commitment to safer workplaces throughout Guyana.
