A Health and Safety Consultant wants proper recording and reporting of accidents at the workplace in Dominica, pointing out that the lack of recorded data is a setback.
Jahna Mc Lawrence of Mc Lawrence Consulting Services, made the remark during a one day Occupational Health and Safety Hazards, Risk Assessment and Management seminar held at the UWI Open Campus on Wednesday.
“It is a problem of reporting and recording and being able to assess when a risk is going to happen … where there are hazards,” she pointed out. “So problems exist but people are not aware of it. People don’t record when accidents happen, people don’t record when injuries happen because of work.”
According to Mc Lawrence, to make matter worse, when accidents happen, there are no follow ups, “They are not being followed up on, they are not recorded,” she lamented.
She said that there are no institutions on the island which record under one roof all workplace accidents. “You don’t have an institute that has all the records … We don’t have that type of thing,” she pointed out.
The Health and Safety consultant indicated that her newly opened firm aims to address the issue and to assist in reducing and preventing workplace accidents, injuries and fatalities.
Mc Lawrence also made the point that a small country like Dominica cannot afford to be unproductive because of unsafe work places which may lead to accidents.
“This is very important especially in a developing country like Dominica … we need more productivity and we need to make sure that the small population that we have is healthy, is safe when they go to work because families depend on them, communities depend on them,” she said.
Areas to be covered at the seminar include: Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety, Occupational Disease and Illnesses, Existing and Future Legal Regulatory Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, Implementing HSE Systems, HSE Communication and Practical Sessions and Case studies.
Guest Speaker is Sophia Lowe, Health Safety and Environment Manager at Carib Cement Co. Ltd, Jamaica.
Facilitators include Mc Lawrence Consulting Services, Heritage Investment Ltd, the Environmental Health Unit and the Labor Division.
Good to know that another institution is thinking of the employees in particular, because employers do know if something happens at their workplace, they know how to cover it up. I must commend your firm for that initiative. You need to go to the gas stations on the island, where the managers dont even give their employees a doctor’s visit for all that gas they are inhaling. All they care about is their money that is being made, but occupational health is under the carpet. Some employers will even paint their offices and workers are inside inhaling the paint. Isnt that occupational health hazard? Do another one soon, Jahna!
All I would say to this is as long as we don’t go overboard like the so called developed countries where everything is health and safety to ridiculous levels. where children cannot play as before, where everything is a problem. But everything we do is patterned after those countries so lets see.
No need to get to “ridiculous levels” we can make a start in the right direction. We do live in a globalised world and we cannot stay in our shell and think that Dominica is where the world starts and ends. We have to be up to standard eventually if we want to develop, promote and export our goods and services. Getting educated about the world we live in now and the implications of not having even the simplest environmental and occupational health and safety policy is important before starting to panic about initiatives like this. We do not have to pattern on the “so called developed countries” but we can use systems that are tailored to our environment, climate, society, types of work, legislation and governance. We cannot continue to think that we are “small” “undeveloped” etc etc so there is no need for the awareness and practices that are important for safeguarding our own health. IF you ever had a breadwinner in your family die or get paralysed from occupational hazards or accidents then you would realise the need for this type of education and awareness. This affects everyone….i think it is foolish to think that because we are in DOminica we cannot try to be excellent. Why must we love our mediocrity?
I think it is foolish to think that because we are in Dominica we must not try to be excellent and love our mediocrity because we panic about the idea of change of culture. We live in a globalised world…if we want to develop, promote and export our goods and services we need to be vigilant about environmental and occupational health and safety. We do not have to implement everything one time…and we do not have to pattern on “so called Developed countries”…..we can do what we can with the resources that we have because like it or not that is the way the world is moving and we have to be prepared and we cannot disregard our environment and our human resources just because we feel we don’t need to care about “those types of things”
Excellent article and idea. Good luck! It should protect both employers and employees. Directives should be prepared and issued to both employers and employees outlining what type of accidents could occur in the workplace and their rights. This should include compensation for the injured and if having to recuperate from injury which occurred at work.
Employees must also take precaution. Those high heels that some women may wear to work and while at work are not appropriate for comfort and safety, not even for walking the streets. They could also tire those who wear them. Imagine walking up and down stairs with them. This could prove dangerous, should they slip and fall. Furthermore women are told that they are not healthy for the ankles and knees. Those who wear them for a long period as many years could be affected. A wise idea is to bring a pair of low-heeled shoes and wear them at the workplace. If there is a convenient desk, keep a pair there for daily wear.
Amen to that. I juist commented on another post that “safety” is a foreign concept in Dominca. Ms. McLawrence keep pushing for safer practices in the workplace.
All the best Jahns. Good initiative.
Good Job Jahna!! Much needed program. A step in the right direction. Keep it up and wish you well in your new firm.
Well congrats to my girl from your first educator at Pre School, I am so proud of you, blessings!
Thank you!