Basseterre, St. Kitts—On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Quarry Division of the Public Works Department in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport held the opening ceremony at the SKELEC Conference Room in Needsmust for a week-long training session in drilling and blasting techniques. Dr. Larry Neufville, a Professor at the University of Technology in Jamaica, is the workshop’s facilitator.
Hon. Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport, senior leadership in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, quarry staff, and Defence Force personnel attended the opening ceremony. Lisa Carillo of NSG Management & Technical Services Ltd. and Wilburn Dickson, a licensed blast technician from Jamaica, were also present.
In his opening remarks, Quarry Manager Jermaine Lake shared his commitment to the modernization process. He informed the gathering that he identified deficiencies in the framework needed to support the efforts to modernize the quarry after Minister Maynard tasked him with creating a document to guide the modernization process.
“There is no legal mechanism for licensing a quarry,” Mr. Lake said. Accordingly, blast technicians have yet to be officially licensed. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport has initially sought to address this lacuna through its workshop on Principles of Drilling and Blasting, but ultimately through sourcing adequate training and exploring opportunities to facilitate licensing.
The workshop, designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of drilling and blasting techniques, comprises both theoretical and practical components. Sessions on health and safety, drilling and blasting, explosives, and environmental considerations will be held from July 30 to August 2, 2024.
