The Labour Ministry’s Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Department has initiated an investigation into the tragic accident that occurred Friday at a construction site at Lot 27, Norton Street, Georgetown.
The accident resulted in the death of 19-year-old Bryan Hardial, of Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara.
According to reports, Hardial was in the process of raising a gutter to be installed towards the front of the third floor of the building under construction.
Dead: Bryan Hardial
During this process, a part of the gutter came into contact with the live electrical wires at the front of the building, causing Hardial to receive an electrical shock and fall from the third floor to the ground.
He was then transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital by ambulance, where he subsequently died. He was reportedly not wearing any safety gear at the time of the accident.
“OSH Officer, Neza King, is conducting the investigation, which will entail additional visits to the accident site, and taking statements from eyewitnesses”, the Ministry stated in a release.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, has repeatedly stressed the importance of ensuring safe and healthy conditions exist in workplaces and on worksites to facilitate the safe return of workers to their families at the end of the day.
He extends condolences to the families, friends, and co-workers of the deceased.
This tragic incident comes shortly after the Labour Ministry reported a reduction in workplace fatalities over the past few years, with 32 deaths in 2020, 27 in 2021, 21 in 2022, and 20 in 2023. Investigations are ongoing. (G9)
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