The landscape in Guyana is quickly changing with the construction of many high-rise buildings, even as the housing sector continues to rapidly expand. These developments expose construction workers to many hazards, thus creating the need to implement safety standards. One of the most common hazards for these workers is the potential of falling from great heights leading to injuries or even death. To avoid such incidents, there is need for the erection of access scaffolds but more so, scaffolds which are sturdy and reliable.
In 2022, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) adopted the Code of Practice for Access scaffold from the Canadian Standards Association as a National Standard. The standard – GYS/CAN/CSA-Z 797-18 – provides criteria for the safe erection, use, and inspection of access scaffolds. It also addresses training of workers who are responsible for erecting the scaffolds.
According to the document, a scaffold is a temporary elevated or hanging platform and its structural members that is used to support workers and/or materials during construction, repair, or maintenance operations. However, it should not be used to support temporary loads or hold a structural element in place during the construction or repair. These structures can either be supported on a surface, mounted on wheels or hung from multiple points, but are not capable of moving vertically or horizontally.
The standard addresses key hazards, including fall hazards, structural instability, platform failures, and material handling problems. The supervisor is the person tasked with ensuring that the scaffold is built in accordance with the design drawings, having the correct components and materials and proper access points. Further, it is noted that the weather should be considered to ensure that the stability of the structure is not affected as workers maneuver to complete their daily tasks.
As the city’s population increases, some buildings are constructed in close proximity to others. However, it is specified that scaffolds erected at the side of these structures during the construction phase should not have walkways which are less than fifty-five (55) centimetres wide unless otherwise required by local regulations. The structure should also not impede any emergency equipment including fire hose, fire extinguisher, exit door or electrical panel.
To protect workers, the standard also recommends that in the vicinity of energized electrical conductors such as power lines, precautions should be taken to maintain the minimum safe approach distance from the conductors. Where the powerline voltage is unknown, scaffolds should not be erected until the voltage is verified or the powerlines are insulated, de-energised or relocated.
The importance of this National Standard is not to be ignored by those in the construction sector. In February of this year, a worker performing maintenance duties on a multi-story building on Regent Street –the center of Georgetown’s shopping district –was electrocuted while on an aluminum scaffold attempting to install a pressure plate on the glass frame at the front of the building. The man suffered burns to his hands and other parts of his body, prompting an investigation from the Ministry of Labour. In September 2020 and April 2021, there have been incidents of workers falling to their death from high-rise buildings.
The safety of workers at construction and other sites remains vital to protecting life and limb. In April, Guyana joined in observing Occupational Safety and Health Month under the theme: “A Safe and Healthy Working Environment is a Fundamental Principle and a Right at Work.”The theme promotes the need for employers to implement measures to ensure their workers are safe, and one way to do so is by ensuring the proper protective equipment is provided and utilized by workers while performing their duties.
The GNBS is urging employers to ensure that safety standards are implemented in the workplace. The National Standard GYS/CAN/CSA-Z 797-18 – Code of Practice for Access Scaffold is available through the GNBS portal and can be purchased via the Canadian Standards Association website:
Finally, there are twenty-one (21) National Standards relating to the construction sector which are available at the GNBS and can also be found on the portal gnbsguy.com. For more information on these standards, contact the Bureau’s Standardisation Department on telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 219-0065 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgyorg. You can also WhatsApp us on +592 692 4627.
