Occupational Health & Safety Legislation of Trinidad and Tobago

8/12/2019 Occupational Health & Safety Legislation of Trinidad and Tobago

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UNIVERSITY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 1

Safe 110DIntroduction to Health & Safety, Hazards and Laws

Module 2 Occupational health and Safety in Trinidad and Tobago

Module 2

Occupational Health & Safety Legislation of Trinidadand Tobago

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Historical backgroundTrinidadwassightedbyChristopherColumbusin1498.AfteryearsofSpanishrule,the

islandwasseizedbytheBritishin1797.Tobago,afterchanginghands22times,was

cededtoBritainin1814,andattachedtoTrinidadin1888,toformasingleBritishCrown

colony.

Aftertheabolitionofslaveryin1838,aneedforcheaplaborpromptedtheBritishto

introduceEastIndianstotheislandsasindenturedlaborers.MigrationfromMadeira,

SierraLeone,Europe,IndiaandChinafollowedthisintroduction,accountingforthe

presentethnicmixinpopulation:EastIndian(alocalterm-primarilyimmigrantsfrom

northernIndia)40.3%,black39.5%,mixed18.4%,white0.6%,Chineseandother1.2%.

Theindenturedlaborsystemlasteduntil1917.

Thedepressionofthe1930sledtoaseriesofstrikesandriots,strengtheningagrowing

labormovementontheislands.In1946,theBritishgranteduniversalsuffrageandtook

measurestoinstituteself-government.In1962,TrinidadandTobagoachievedfull

independenceandjoinedtheCommonwealth.

In1976,aRepublicanconstitutionwasadopted,replacingtheQueenasHeadofState

withaPresidentelectedbytheParliament.EricWilliamsbecamePrimeMinisterand

remainedinthispostuntilhisdeathin1981.


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Occupational Health Safety Act, 2004UntilthepassingofthisAct,occupationalsafetyinTrinidadandTobagowasdetermined

byaFactories Ordinance 1950.Thiswasoldcoloniallegislationandonlycoveredworkersinfactories.OSHA2004dealswiththesafety,healthandwelfareofpersonsat

workandcoversallworkers,withtheexceptiondomesticworkers.OSHA2004was

amendedbytheOccupational Health Safety (Amendment) Act, 2006butthiswaslargelyatidyingupexercise.WhilstwelcomingOSHA,thetradeunionmovementhasgenerallybeencriticalofthis

legislationforthelackofaneffectiverolegiventotradeunionsundertheAct.

ThefollowingSubsidiaryLegislation,whichwasmadeundertheFactoriesOrdinance,

continuestobeineffect:

* Occupational Safety and Health (Prescribed Forms) Order (GN 187-1948)* Distillery (Safety) Regulations (GN 213-1946)* Boilers Regulations (GN 2-1949)* Special Provisions for Safety in the Case of Air Pressure Containers (GN 3-1949)1949 * Occupational Safety and Health Cleaning of Machinery in Motion (GN 109-1949)* Woodworking Machinery (GN 152-1949)* Occupational Safety and Health (Electricity) Regulations (GN 61-1951)* Occupational Safety and Health (Welfare) Regulations (GN 62-1951)* Electric Accumulator (Manufacture and Repair) Order (GN 184-1974)* Occupational Safety and Health (Protective Measures) Regulations (GN 210-19577)

ThefollowinglawsarerepealedbySection98(1)ofOSHA:

* The Factories Ordinance* Employment of Women (Night Work) Act* The Gas Cylinders (Use, Conveyance and Storage) Act


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Key Features of the New Legislation

Widens the categories of workers OSHAcoversmostworkersinallaspectsofworkundertakenin

anindustrialestablishment

IndustrialEstablishmentfactory,shop,office,placeofworkor

otherpremisesbutdoesnotincludepremisesoccupiedfor

residentialpurposesonly;orothercategoriesofestablishment

exemptedbytheMinisterinaccordancewiththisAct.

Promotes voluntary compliance Ashifttostrongerself-governancebyemployersandworkersand

amoreregulatoryrolebyGovernment

Identifies a broad range of responsibilities for a number of Agents Dutiesareoutlinedfor:

-Employers-Suppliers

-Employees-SelfEmployed

-Occupiers-Designers

-Manufacturers-Importers

Promotes consultations between employers and workers organization on

occupational safety and health issues

Forestablishmentswith25employeesormore

employerstoestablishajoint(tradeunion/employeeand

employer)SafetyandHealthCommitteetoreviewhealthand

safetymeasuresandinvestigatemattersconsideredtobeunsafe

orarisktohealthattheindustrialestablishment

OSHpolicytobedevelopedjointlybyemployers/occupiersand

workersrepresentatives


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Empowers inspectors to take enforcement and legal actions Inspectorscan:

Enter,inspect,examineandtakesamplesfromanyindustrial

establishment Serveprohibitionorimprovementnotices

Initiatelegalproceedingsagainstpersonsinbreach

oftheAct

Establishes two entities for the administration of Occupational Safety and Health

PartsXIIandXIIIprovidesfortheestablishmentof:

TheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAuthoritywhichwas

establishedinOctober2006 TheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAgencyestablishedinAugust

2007


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Summary of Legislation

General Duties Employers 1Toensuresofarasreasonablypracticable,theHealthSafetyandWelfareofall

employees:

Safeplantandsystemsofwork.

Safeuse,handling,storage,transportationofequipment,machinery,articles,

substances

Provisionofanyrequiredinformation,instruction,trainingandsupervision.

Safeplaceofwork,safeaccess,egress.

SafeworkEnvironment,welfarefacilities.

Prepareawrittensafety&Healthpolicytogetherwithorganizationand

arrangementsifmorethan25employees.

Breach of Duties - Employer BreachesofpregnancyprovisionsdeterminedinIndustrialCourt.

Contraventionofprovisionsoftheactisasafety&healthoffencesubjecttothe

jurisdictionoftheIndustrialCourt.

AggrievedpartiesmayseekredressintheIndustrialCourt.


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Duties of Employees Takereasonablecareforsafetyandhealthofselfandotherswhomaybe

affected.

Cooperatewithemployerintermsofcompliancewithemployer'sduties.

Notundertheinfluenceofanyintoxication.

ReporttoemployerbreachesofAct,regulations.

UsecorrectlyPPE/protectivedevices.

NotinterferewithormisuseH,S&Witems.

NOT UNDERTAKE ANY WILLFUL ACTS CAUSING DEATH OR CRITICALINJURY

FINES IN CASE OF DEATH INJURY

Sub-section86(1)fineofonehundredthousanddollars,oranamount

equivalenttothreeyearspayofthatpersonwhicheverisgreater thewholeor

partmaybeappliedforthebenefitofthevictimorofhisestateorotherwiseas

theCourtmaydecide.

FailuretocomplywithSection10(1)isasafetyandhealthoffenceandwillbe

determinedintheIndustrialCourt.

ForwillfulactscausingdeathorcriticalinjuryS10(2),employeeisliabletoafine

of$10,000onsummaryconviction.


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Part IV Safety Provisions

S.220Provisionoftraining,supervisionofyoungpersonsworkingon

dangerousmachinery.

S.23Protectiveclothingordevicesofapprovedstandardswithinstructions.

S.24Removalofdustsandfumes.

S.25Provisionsforconfinedspaceentry.

Safeguardingprimemovers,transmissionmachineryanddangerouspartsof

machinery.

Cleaningofmachinery.

Appropriatehealthsurveillance.

Part V Fire Provisions

S26.1Provisionofadequatemeansofescapeincaseoffire,basedonrisk

assessment.

S27.1Safetyprovisionsincaseoffire.

Adequatefirefightingequipment


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Part VII Health Provisions S.31Cleanliness

S.32RespiratoryProtection

S.33-Lighting,preventionofglare,shadows

S.34NoiseandVibration

S.35preventionofOvercrowding

S.36Suitableventilation

Part VII Welfare Provisions S.39-41Drinkingwater,washingfacilities,sanitaryconviencestobeprovided.

S.42Firstaidboxesundercontrolofresponsiblepersonstrainedinfirstaid.

S.45Provisionofrestroomsandlunchroomsineveryfactory.

Safety and Health Committees Makerecommendationsaboutthehealthandsafetyorpersonsintheworkplace.

SeekassistancefromtheChiefinspectorasneeded.

Conductworkplaceinspections.

ReviewriskassessmentsandControlPrograms.


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Module 2: Occ upat ional Heal th and Safety legis lat ion in T& T

1. Outline the role of the employees under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

2. Why is it important to know the health and safety regulations that deal with your type of work?

3. What does a permit to work allow?4. What are the legal responsibilities as an employer?

5. Identify breaches and fines attached to breaches of the OSH Act of Trinidad and Tobago.

Documents

Occupational Health & Safety Legislation of Trinidad and Tobago