Senior Environmental Health Officer, Isabella John, is encouraging safety at various construction sites on the island.
She was speaking on the Healthy Environment, Healthy People program on Kairi FM recently.
“We have noticed that this industry or this sector is the one with the highest number of accidents, meaning that although we might not find the document or the records, but we know and we have been hearing of many persons who are dying as a result of some form of mishap while they are at work and they are involved in the construction industry,” John said.
She continued, “So why safety? Why should safety and construction go hand-in-hand?”
According to her, the construction industry is one of the most significant industries as it relates to contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, John stated that it is seen as one of the most hazardous industries with the highest fatality rate.
“So we cannot push safety aside because of that high accident rate recorded in the construction industry or at construction sites all over the world,” she noted. “So what makes it a hazardous industry?”
She went on to state that the construction industry is considered to be a highly hazardous industry because of the nature of the work that is being done, “the environment that the activity has to be carried out and the type of equipment or the chemical you have to use while you are working.”
While it is possible she said one may be able to survive the fall depending on the height.
“It’s the landing circumstances that determine the outcome of your fall,” she said.
Furthermore, John said when speaking of electrical exposure, persons who are involved in electrical works or exposed electrical wiring, while at work, some persons may come in contact with these hazards struck by that referred to, “ if an equipment or some form of material falls or if you have a construction site where vehicles are moving you might have probably some accident struck by from a moving vehicle, caught-in or caught-in between, so some persons might be cut between or trapped between equipment or something that is immovable.”
She explained that in terms of excavation work there may be cavings, “or a trench collapsing and these are all forms of caught-in hazards.
“We also have hazards that affect our respiratory system,” John explained. “We have the silica dust and we have the silica dust in tiles, in the mutter, in the sand, the concrete, in gravel, you have the cement dust or you have what you call the volatile organic compound that comes from the vanishing and the paints.”
John continued, “And what this causes is, it either irritates the lining of our respiratory tract or it causes inflammation.”
Meantime, she mentioned an Accidents and Occupational Diseases (Notification) Act which gives the employee the responsibility to ensure that they use the equipment or follow the policies and the procedures that are given to them to protect themselves as well as their coworkers.
“There is also the Accidents and Occupational Diseases (Notification) Act,and what that act requires is that the employer, if you have any accident resulting in the loss of life of a worker or if the worker is disabled for more than 3 days from earning a full wage at the work at which the worker was employed at the time of the accident, the employer has the responsibility to report that to the labour division,” John explained.
She also said that if there is a qualified medical practitioner, he has to report to the Labour Division any occupational disease that he notices while attending to a patient whom he believes contracted that disease during his course of employment.
“Both the medical practitioner and the employer have a responsibility under that act to report to the labour division,” John noted. “In the event of any investigation, any accidents or any incident of occupational disease, the act also gives the minister the authority to direct an investigation into any of this.”
She added, “So there is the legal document to protect the employee while at work, but it also gives the responsibility of the employer and whatever that he puts in place to protect his employee the employee has the right to use that.”
The Act must give workers the right to refuse to engage in activities that they deem unsafe without repercussions from the employer. There must also be a financial penalty for repeat employer.
In many developed countries there is workplace insurance paid for by employers that compensate workers for workplace injuries. So if an employer has a history of its employees getting injured repeatedly, it will cost them in the pocketbook.
Unless the government creates a disincentive to reckless behavior on the part of employers, the Act will just be more words written into law with no teeth behind it.
Having public service announcements in Creole and English on TV for different industries.
For starters – high schools or just schools – safety training and certification (Agriculture, wood working, Food handlers (Home EC for Food and Nutrition)
I hope the act would make provisions for fines to employers for non compliance – cite employers for failures or “dings”
Construction – during the planning inspections phases that I heard mentioned on anou palay that projects’ safety can be placed in there and certification (saying that the safety measures are in place – a building going up two stories there should be some safety net around especially around so if someone falls – height restriction for nets
Employers should be given adequate training and employee training(for employee safety training annually continuing education – certified for small fee)
Construction sites the employers on each site having copy posted of their safety inspection certificate.
Safety should be encouraged everywhere, not just on construction sites. Reckless drivers on the roads daily with no police officers to enforce safety rules. You all are useless. Mad motorcycle riders in Dominica are putting peoples lives in danger every single day with no consequences. Give me a break.