Adhere to Safety Guidelines While Driving or During Construction Works – Govt

Barbara 9th June, 2022

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Government officials have warned Dominicans to adhere to safety guidelines instituted to protect them against accidents in the line of their jobs. Given the rising spate of accidents at construction sites and on the roads, the government expresses concerns that people should prioritize their safety and that of others they work with to protect lives and accidential injuries.

Senior environmental health officer, Isabella John, lamented that too many construction workers have been dying or getting injured in the course of their jobs due to non-compliance with safety regulations. She noted that due to the nature of construction jobs, accidents are bound to occur and that is why workers must take their safety seriously.

John noted that some of the mishaps that occur in the construction industry include falling from heights, exposure to dangerous chemicals, getting hit by a falling object, being injured by equipment and machinery, and electrical shocks among others. She added that there have been cases of caving-in and trench collapse during excavation works.

We also have hazards that affect our respiratory system. We have the silica dust and we have the silica dust in tiles, in mortar, sand, concrete, and in gravel; you also have the cement dust or what you call the volatile organic compound that comes from vanishing and paints. And what this causes is – it either irritates the lining of our respiratory tract or it causes inflammation.
Isabella John, Senior environmental health officer

In the same vein, Honourable Reginald Austrie has warned motorists to exercise a duty of care when using public roads. The senior government minister expressed concerns that the rising incidents of motor accidents have become worrisome, noting that people lose their lives or sustain fatal injuries that render them invalid for life in many of these road mishaps.

There are many vehicles on the road, so I would like to urge all road users, both motorists and pedestrians to pay attention to what is happening around them. Let us pay attention to the traffic; let’s listen to the many traffic hints that play on many of the radio stations. Let’s drive with more care and attention.
Honourable Reginald Austrie

The minister lamented that people no longer study the booklet given to them during driving lessons and before driver’s licenses are issued. According to him, the book contains all potential drivers need to know about driving guidelines, road signs, highway codes, and traffic signs. He said studying this book from cover to cover will educate people on driving safety and prevent fatal road accidents.

We need to go back to the book; there’s a book that they would give us when we were getting tested…we don’t read those books anymore. Driving has become a pastime; before it used to be a luxury to become a driver – you had to move through the ropes and learn all the highway codes and all the instructions. Nowadays, men just jump behind the wheel of a vehicle…because it’s too easy to get a driver’s license [today].
Honourable Reginald Austrie