The National Occupational Health and Safety Services (NOHSS) of the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations (MEPWR) is currently undertaking an investigation into the drowning incident of a hotel guest at the Fiji Hideaway Resort in Sigatoka.
Employment Minister, Hon. Agni Deo Singh, highlighted that the preliminary investigations revealed that a Japanese tourist aged 50 drowned whilst swimming on the 4th of November 2024 at around 8.00 am.
“He was swimming alone near the resort when this tragic incident occurred. Meanwhile, NOHSS is conducting further investigations to determine if the hotel had proper systems and procedures in place for guest activities.”
“This includes examining the level of supervision for all events, as well as rescue and evacuation protocols for guests and staff during emergencies.”
The minister added that the National OHS Service is also working with the relevant authorities to obtain the medical reports and autopsy reports from the Fiji Police Force to assist with its investigations.
“The hotel management must adequately identify all potential hazards and implement appropriate control strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future. The full report will be produced once the investigation is completed,” Minister Singh added.
The National OHS Services conducts inspections of all workplaces in Fiji, including resorts, to ensure that companies meet and comply with the minimum requirements stipulated in the law. The Service also issued relevant enforcement notices for any non-compliance during their inspections to ensure that corrective actions are taken by the employers.