Minister says more Occupational Health and Safety Officers to be appointed
Following recent work place fatalities, the Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton has said there are plans to widen monitoring by increasing the current cadre of Occupational Health and Safety Officers across the country.
In a brief interview, Hamilton told Stabroek News that permission was given to the ministry to increase the amount of officers, who currently number 9, to 30.
He further noted that the intention is to place two officers in every region, with the exception of Region Four, across Guyana.
He explained that persons in the near future will be appointed and trained in the various regions where they
reside in order to eliminate the practice of having persons work in regions where they do not live.
Hamilton added that the recommendations were made by the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) of the various regions and disclosed that the individuals will be attached to the RDCs to supervise Occupational Safety and Health across the country.
Hamilton also said that after the passage of the new national budget, the ministry will launch a public awareness campaign.
He reminded that under the law any organisation with more than 19 employees should have a health and safety committee. He noted that the ministry has recognized that this is not the case for many public and private entities, hence the ministry’s intention to assist in helping to provide training to ensure everyone is in compliance with the law.
Up to last week at least two workplace fatalities were reported. On February 1st, Royston Souvenir, an employee attached to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc., died after he was pinned by an excavator at the Guyana Shore Base Inc. compound, at Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
On February 2nd, another work place fatality was reported involving Mark Gomes, an employee of Edward B. Beharry who at the time of the incident was investigating a hissing sound which emanated from the flour tanker. The cover of a pipe blew off, hitting him and causing him to be knocked off the tank.
The Ministry’s Occupational Health and Safety Department is said to be investigating the workplace accidents.
Attorney Leon Oswald Rockliffe has died. He was 90 years old.
In a brief interview with this newspaper yesterday, President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) Teni Housty said that Rockliffe practised law for just about half a century, following his return from London where he studied.
The GBA president described Rockliffe as the “guru of the legal profession” on the land transport system in Guyana, and as the person who had been able to trace its evolution back to the 1800s.
His contribution in the field Housty, said, would not be soon equalled by anyone in practice; even as he noted that Rockliffe’s practice of law demonstrates the indelible mark one can leave on the profession given their commitment.
Housty fondly reminisced that when one thinks of a friend and teacher in the practice of the law, Rockliffe comes immediately to mind, while further describing him as being perpetually generous to his colleagues, and particularly the
GBA, for imparting his knowledge on coveyancing.
To this end he said that the now deceased attorney has written a number of papers and made several presentations over the span of his career, on the elements of the transport system.
The GBA president recalled Rockliffe as being approachable— the type of person he said, who when called upon would respond.
“He was really a genuine friend to the practicing Bar in Guyana and would be sadly missed,” Housty said.
The Bar president memorialized Rockliffe as the epitome for young lawyers of the saying “to whom much is given, much is required.”
Rockliffe had worked for some time as the Registrar of Deeds and at the Land Court before proceeding to London to pursue his legal studies.
Fondly called `Uncle Gun’ Stabroek News understands that Rockliffe died sometime late on Saturday evening.