28 deaths as contruction industry lacks safety checks

THE CONSTRUCTION industry in Panama  has recorded 28 deaths in two years  but suffers from a lack of safety officials.

With more than 600 projects currently underway, figures from the Ministry of Labor show that there are only 137 safety officers and 86 inspectors,

Ministry General Secretary Samuel Rivera said that there is only one official for every three projects, when ideally there would be one for each.

Guerrel Gregorio, a safety official for the construction workers union Suntracs, said that the government adopted a law in October that calls for the hiring of additional safety officers.

Although there have been 28 deaths over the past two years, the number dropped from 19 in 2014 to nine last year.

Gregorio said that the union will demand compliance with the new law, which he said is a key to reducing accidents, reports La Prensa