Dear Editor,
I am pleased to acknowledge the strides made by local authorities in taking the lead in managing Guyana’s oil and gas sector. For some time now, the Ministry of Labour, through its Occupational Safety and Health Department, has been executing routine physical inspections of the Liza Destiny FPSO and other oil vessels offshore.
This is commendable and speaks of how far the country has developed in such a short period. The assessment by the Ministry removes the reliance on second-hand reports by operators of the vessels and gives the country a first-hand assessment of how things are being operated and managed onboard those vessels miles offshore Guyana.
Also, this ensures that Guyanese working onboard those vessels have a voice and are not working in unsafe environments. After all, despite the wealth that comes with oil production, Guyana’s most important resource is and will always be its human resource.
The step by the Ministry is by no stretch of the imagination a minor accomplishment, but one that should be commended on a grand scale. A giant step in the right direction now that Guyana has the capability to assess key operational areas, including the vessel’s Health, Safety, Security, and Environment policy, workers’ training and competence levels, emergency response mechanisms, risk assessments, waste management practices, incident reports, and relevant documentation.
As I previously stated, the Ministry’s decision to conduct independent assessments is a significant achievement because it holds operators accountable and, more importantly, liable.
Sincerely,
Greg Lynch
