Following criticisms of it, the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning yesterday said that it has launched an investigation into a fatal construction site accident that occurred on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
Occupational Safety and Health Officers visited the worksite shortly after the incident to conduct preliminary investigations, a release from the ministry said. The officers also visited the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where the injured workers were treated.
The Ministry has confirmed that 36-year-old Cuban national, Yordan Garcia Roland, died in the incident. Two other Cuban nationals, Troy Estriado, 33, and Yusvani Ramirez, 37, were injured and received medical treatment at the GPHC.
Roland died after a metal scaffold came into contact with a high-voltage power line at a construction site at Plantation Houston, East Bank Demerara.
The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 a.m. at a building being constructed for Toucan Distributors at Lot S6.
The release yesterday said that the Ministry’s investigation remains ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether all required occupational safety and health measures were observed.
As the investigation continues, the release said that the Ministry remains committed to its broader efforts to strengthen occupational safety and health standards and promote safer workplaces across Guyana.
“These efforts are being further reinforced through the ongoing `Putting Safety First’ campaign and its targeted awareness initiatives, including the `Putting Safety First in the Construction Sector’ seminar series, which engages employers, contractors and workers on safe work practices, compliance with occupational safety and health requirements, and the prevention of workplace accidents”.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, urged employers, contractors and workers to prioritise workplace safety and take every necessary precaution to prevent accidents and protect lives.
The Ministry had been criticized in a Kiskadee Watch editorial on August 29 for not addressing publicly a rash of fatal workplace accidents.
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