Construction sector should be more concerned about safety, says health and safety expert

The time has come for persons working in the construction sector to have basic training in occupation, health and safety practices since for too long they have been putting their life and health at risk, according to occupation, health and safety expert Dale Beresford.

“There is the concern of having labourers, masons and carpenters working on site without basic training in occupation, safety and health. I believe the time has come where Guyana needs to have some sort of certification… for persons before they enter into the workforce,” Beresford, who has been an occupation, health and safety officer for the past twenty years told Sunday Stabroek in a recent interview.

Beresford drew attention to the fact that the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has introduced basic training sessions for persons entering the mining sector, and said that this should be replicated in the construction sector.  Beresford noted that often on construction sites workers could be seen working in slippers and sandals, without headgear, and as such they had no protection against nail punctures, a failing object or dust.

Dale Beresford
Dale Beresford

“You have guys who are working on scaffolding and they don’t have any sense of fall protection… no safety nets, so if you fall that’s it, and we had a few cases of this,” Beresford noted adding that there are also those who lift weight in excess of their capacity which could have a long-term effect on their health.

Further, Beresford noted there are times when the scaffolding is overweight and it is not properly secured, therefore endangering the lives of those who use it.

“I believe that every single company, especially a construction company, should have health and safety personnel to oversee the work,” Beresford said.

He went on to express his concern that most organisations do not have safety as a priority and he thought  that safety should be integrated into every facet of work and into the training programme.

“Safety should be a way of life, it should be your culture,” he said, adding that most times it is the last issue which is addressed, and only then after an incident has occurred.

At the moment very little attention is being paid to adherence to the safety regulations including recommended safety equipment for employees and a safe work environment.

Beresford observed that safety is about prevention, and in this way lives and money are saved, in addition to which most companies that make safety a priority have a higher production rate.

 High buildings

Meanwhile, Beresford, who has had training in Barbados, Trini-dad, Australia and the US, pointed to the number of high buildings being erected in and around the city. This, he said is a matter for the Central, Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA), but that they should take control before “it gets out of hand.” He referred to a number of issues which need to be brought under control, including the structural damage  caused to neighbouring buildings when the high buildings are erected.

He said that the engineering sector needs to be involved in the process of the erection of high-rise buildings and in the end people would feel greater satisfaction knowing that the building they occupied was structurally safe.

“For instance now you don’t know what is the load weight on the building… and I know of one particular building because of the contractor’s negligence they had to drive steel piles to keep one section of the building from collapsing,” Beresford said.

He said it is important to focus on the safety aspects of building in order to prevent a catastrophe such as an entire floor collapsing. While this had never happened, with the upsurge of new buildings it was not impossible.

According to Beresford even the mixture of the cement needs to be looked at as many persons are not aware that pure water gives the cement a better mixture and strength as opposed to using trench water which contains impurities.

He said there are breaches even with those government building projects as there are cases when persons excavate large holes and leave them open overnight, which is against the regulations since it could pose a risk to life and limb of persons.

The country is now addressing regulations concerning certain industries and sectors, Beresford said, including noise, the manufacture of chemicals and the construction of buildings. He is of the belief that the Ministry of Labour “is on the ball” in addressing the issues and ensuring that there are “some regulatory provisions to ensure compliance.”

While the regulations are there Beresford said that “more needs to be put into the Ministry of Labour to assist them in carrying out their mandate, because with the exception of the Ministry of Labour there is no regulatory authority.”

He called on the private sector to come on board and ensure that they are in compliance with the laws, adding that there is no excuse for non-compliance since guidance and interpretation could be had from the ministry as well as from other agencies.

Beresford also zeroed in on private contractors who have many times caused home owners millions because of poor workmanship. He disclosed that there are two recent cases he is aware of where the flooring of the houses collapsed during construction.

“The regulations are there and it has been too long, and I believe now more than ever we need to start looking at those regulations and compliance,” he said.

To ensure that this is done Beresford suggested that there be collaboration between the various ministries and agencies so when applications are processed they are all part of the processing and can be involved in monitoring until the completion of the building.

He suggested that home owners seek advice on their prospective buildings and that they should scrutinize the experience and work of the contractor who should have references.

“Cheapness could eventually result in dire consequences,” Beresford warned.

The country, he said, is experiencing a construction boom, but money should not come in front of safety.

“Everyone wants to have a fast completion date, but then at the same time are you compromising safety?” he asked, adding that cement and concrete take a certain time to cure.

He said that the country has a golden opportunity to put things in place before it is too late because as more multinational companies enter the country they will come with their regulations and standards and if those of the country’s are not enforced they will impose theirs.

After working with the M&CC for the past ten years Beresford now manages his own company which advises major companies on occupational health and safety and other issues.

He is also the past chairman of the National Advisory Council on Occupation, Health & Safety and the present vice-chair of the body. He lectures at the University of Guyana and the Critchlow Labour College.