Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith on Tuesday led unannounced inspections at gold mining operations in Region Eight, where workers were engaged on workplace safety and provided with protective equipment.
Addressing the miners in a short video posted on Facebook, Griffith said the ministry wanted to ensure that persons working to provide for their families could do so safely and return home without injury.
He also warned that consuming alcohol could endanger both the individual worker and others at the mining operation, and urged workers to consider its effects on their ability to work safely the following morning.
Griffith stressed that workplace safety required cooperation between workers and the ministry, noting that unsafe conditions could affect an entire operation and the livelihoods of those who depended on it.
According to a statement from the ministry, Griffith was accompanied by Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) officers and other officials during the visits to mining camps in Potaro-Siparuni.
The ministry said the exercise formed part of its ongoing efforts to promote safer working conditions, raise awareness of occupational safety and health standards, and engage directly with miners and employers.
Workers at several camps were provided with personal protective equipment, including high-visibility vests and safety boots.
The statement did not identify the mining operations visited, state how many were inspected or disclose whether any safety breaches were found.
The outreach follows Griffith’s announcement last month that the ministry’s “Putting Safety First” campaign would be extended to every high-risk sector. Speaking at the commissioning of an occupational safety and health training centre at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, he said educational sessions had been held across the regions, with an initial focus on construction, Kiskadee Watch reported.
Mining and construction have previously accounted for most workplace deaths. Stabroek News reported in January 2025 that the ministry recorded 32 workplace fatalities in 2024, compared with 22 in 2023. Then Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton said most of the deaths occurred in those two sectors, despite inspections and safety awareness activities.
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