Blog

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), through its Construction and HSSE Committee, hosted a Workplace Safety Engagement on Friday, August 14, bringing members and industry professionals together for a practical exchange on safe driving and working at heights, two areas of particular importance as Guyana’s construction and industrial activity continues to expand.

The engagement was chaired by Kevon Harding, Chairman of the GCCI Construction and HSSE Committee, who highlighted the value of drawing on the experience of industry professionals to strengthen safety practices across businesses and workplaces.

Davina Linton, Construction Engineer at ExxonMobil Guyana, led the discussion on safe driving, examining how risks can be better managed through journey planning, defensive driving, fatigue management, vehicle inspections and stop-work authority. The discussion also explored the realities encountered on Guyana’s roadways, including changing road conditions, heavy-duty vehicle movements, driver behaviour and the need for greater awareness and communication around road works.

Turning the focus to working at heights, Valesa Allie, HSE Coordinator at Halliburton Guyana, addressed one of the significant hazards associated with construction activity. Her presentation examined risk assessments, the hierarchy of controls, fall protection systems, equipment inspections and the importance of ensuring that personnel are properly trained and competent to undertake high-risk work.

The presentations sparked a wider exchange among participants on how safety principles can be translated into everyday workplace practice, particularly for smaller and growing businesses that may not have the systems and resources of larger companies.

One message carried throughout the afternoon: safety is not simply the equipment you wear or a procedure on paper. It is the decisions made before the job begins, the safeguards maintained while it is underway, and the willingness to stop when something is not right.