Monday, February 18 2008

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Chairman of the TT Occupational Safety and Health Authority Wayne Bertrand at the launch of the Authority's National Safety Awards 2008 at Hilton Trin...

THE OCCUPATIONAL Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) is developing an action plan to promote and educate all interest groups in adopting an OSH culture and achieve compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health legislation.

This announcement was made by Wayne Bertrand, chairman of the OSH Authority, while addressing the media launch for national safety week and National Safety awards at the Trinidad Hilton last Wednesday.

He said the objectives and strategies of the agency will include education and training, effective implementation of the OSH Act and development of a compliance policy. Bertrand said the agency had a simple three-fold policy — providing knowledge and awareness, providing assistance to companies and for companies that are unwilling to comply “we provide trouble.”

While full compliance with legislation “will take time”, he said the Authority and its agency were willing to work with businesses to achieve OSH global standards and “remain competitive on the international market in terms of having safe, sound and decent work places.” Bertrand said the drive to make safety and health household names could only improve TT’s competitiveness regionally and globally.

He urged all organisations in TT — small, medium and large to commemorate National Safety Week (April 27-May 3) by having special safety awareness and training activities in keeping with the theme “Managing Occupational Risks.” The week will begin with a seminar and open house at Cipriani Labour College on April 28. A safety display will be set up at the OSH Agency at TIC Conference at the Centre of Excellence from April 30 to May 3. Activities will also take place in Tobago.

For this year, the Authority will present two awards — individual and team “adjudged to have made the best contribution to safety in the workplace between January 1 and December 31, 2007.” Awards are being sponsored by BHP Billiton TT, PCS Nitrogen, Neal and Massy Energy Ltd and Carillion International.