The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 100 people reported safety concerns on construction sites, restaurants, and other businesses last year, according to a representative of the Department of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Unit (OSHA).

The Department of Labour launched an awareness campaign yesterday to mark World Day Safety and Health at Work.

Sharan Moss, senior safety officer of OSHA, encouraged the public to contact the unit if they encounter infractions against health standards. People can call OSHA at 302-2550 or 302-2562.

She said some infractions people reported included workers not having protective gear on construction sites, air conditioning not working in buildings, or inadequate bathroom facilities. 

She said once complaints are made, a team from OSHA will address the issues with management of a business. She said the OSHA usually allows staff to work on rotation until the problems are fixed. 

The department does not fine businesses that do not comply with safety standards. However, over a dozen businesses since last year were forced to close until they complied.

Labour Director Howard Thompson said after  OSHA conducts inspections, findings are reported to the entities or ministries responsible for oversight.

“For instance, if we make a report, or we submit a report to immigration, they would go and do what they need to do within the bounds of the law,” he said. “If we submit a report to environmental health, they have the power to close an establishment down, so we moreso do the inspection investigation.”

OSHA Day will be celebrated between April 29 and May 3 to spread awareness of work safety. This week, OSHA members will visit different establishments to ensure businesses comply with the Department of Labour’s standards for health and safety. 

This year’s awareness campaign focuses on the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health. Officials said they want businesses to ensure that air conditioning systems are working properly, there is enough ventilation in a building, and mould is nonexistent.

Regarding the lack of protection gear on construction sites, Donavan Colebrook, OSHA inspector and a former worker in the construction industry, said there is a culture on small sites that fails to prioritize safety gear for employees. 

“At times you go on the site, people have their scaffolding system, but they don’t tie it into the building,” he said. “They may have it there; they may have some bricks around it or whatever to try to keep it stable. But they don’t have it tied into the building. These are things that we also are looking for.”