KINGSTON, Jamaica — Several employees of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) staged a protest at the organisation’s offices on Wednesday following the death of a colleague who was electrocuted while on duty.

The deceased has been identified as Garfield Johnson, a sanitation worker who was injured during operations on January 16.

Reports indicate that Johnson was working on a garbage truck when the vehicle became entangled with an electrical wire in the Greenwich Farm community in St Andrew. Johnson was said to have been electrocuted during the incident and was rushed to hospital with severe burns.

He was admitted to hospital for treatment but died on Tuesday. Police confirmed the incident.

News of his death have sent shockwaves through the organisation. On Wednesday, NSWMA employees along with family members of the deceased gathered outside the agency’s offices where they wept openly and raised concerns about what they described as a lack of communication from the company.

“The incident happened and no one from the company has come out to say anything to us,” a man who identified himself as a friend of the deceased said.

However, the NSWMA has refuted those claims.

Audley Gordon, executive director of the NSWMA, speaking in an interview with Observer Online, said that since the incident he and other officials from the authority have visited the hospital and have remained in contact with Johnson’s family.

“Steps were even being made to have him flown to a burn unit for treatment,” Gordon said.

He also said the company is allowing workers space to grieve.

“Right now, we are allowing people to grieve, as we should. All of us are in the same boat, grieving the loss of a family member. We are not into any brute force—pushing and shoving, any violence, we are not into any big stick approach, this moment doesn’t call for that.” he said.

Several women could be seen crying while other protestors held placards bearing “RIP” and “No justice”.

In a statement, the NSWMA confirmed Johnson’s death and described him as a dedicated sanitation officer.

“Mr Johnson suffered severe burns on Friday, January 16, 2026, while on duty and was taken to hospital. Regrettably, despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, January 27. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the operation that led to this tragic incident,” the statement said.

In commenting on the deceased, Gordon said “He served up to the point of his demise, and we believe that he deserved at least for us to show that respect, that is why all of us from the leadership are here…and you don’t see us out there trying to push the workers away or anything like that, because we understand the moment we are in.”

The authority expressed condolences to Johnson’s family and colleagues, noting that his death highlights the dangers faced daily by sanitation workers across the island.

“The NSWMA honours the life, service, and sacrifice of Garfield Johnson and joins the nation in mourning his passing,” the release said.

Power company, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has confirmed that they have been advised of the incident and are doing their own investigations.

(Video: Llewellyn Wynter)