O-107 International organizations’ influence on health and safety culture in Guyana’s oil & gas industry

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, integrating documentary analysis, comparative policy review, and synthesis of safety performance frameworks. Documents reviewed included national OSH legislation, procurement and bidding documents, donor requirements, and global standards such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001, International Labor Organization ( ILO) guidelines, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines, and International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs). A comparative matrix analyzed legal duties, management-system requirements, operational expectations, hazardous materials, incident reporting, worker participation, subcontractor controls, and key performance indicators ( KPIs).

Results: The analysis identifies strengths in Guyana’s statutory provisions such as employer duties, worker committees, hazardous materials management, and accident notification while highlighting gaps in management-system maturity, subcontractor oversight, KPIs, and independent verification mechanisms. Procurement documents partially translate legal requirements into operational expectations, yet they fall short of ISO 45001-aligned evidence of systematic planning, performance monitoring, and continual improvement. Findings demonstrate that international organizations exert influence through benchmarking, financing conditions, safety performance reporting, and the diffusion of management-system frameworks. These mechanisms elevate expectations for corporate safety culture and supply-chain accountability but require stronger national enforcement and institutional capacity to achieve sustained improvements.

Conclusion: This study contributes empirical insight into how international frameworks can complement national legislation in emerging petroleum economies. Guyana’s expanding petroleum industry presents both risks and opportunities. International frameworks can significantly strengthen HSE culture, but only when integrated into national regulatory systems with sufficient enforcement and institutional capacity.