Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton on Monday said that workplace deaths decreased by 20 percent in 2022.
Hamilton revealed this during his presentation on budget 2023 at the 54th sitting of the National Assembly. According to Hamilton, in 2021, 32 persons lost their lives at the workplace. This number decreased last year with 21 persons dying at the workplace, said Hamilton.
“The specific matter of workplace deaths, for me, it is not statistics. Every time someone was killed at their workplace, that is a family of some person – a husband, a child, a friend of some person,” he said.
He added that the government continues to engage the public and private sectors regarding this matter as well as continue to establish health and safety committees.
Last year the Ministry’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Department said it had conducted thorough investigations of workplace deaths that were reported between 2020 and 2022.
It was said that employees are not reporting minor accidents and that it is mostly the fatal accidents that become publicised. But the department’s head Gwenneth King said that the latter could be prevented if the minor accidents are reported and then guidance is given to avoid recurrences. In addition, it is their duty to provide recommendations as is seen fit to prevent future accidents. She further stressed that both the employees and employers have to cooperate and adhere to safety measures for the particular work they do in order to prevent accidents.
The Ministry revealed that two employers were taken before the courts.
King said that while many persons go to the department seeking compensation for the loss of their relatives, this is not the main concern of the Labour Ministry’s investigations. She explained that her team works to prevent future minor and fatal accidents. The department’s duties are to conduct inspections and surveys of workplaces; provide guidance; and advise on ways in which working conditions and environment could be improved and the maintenance of good workplace safety and health practice. Circumstances of work accidents and complaints are also investigated by OHS officers.
In December, the Gafoors Hardware Store was ordered to make several changes within their work environment based on recommendations made by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department.
“A timeframe was given for the company to comply with the recommendations that were made. In this regard the OSH department will be following up with the company to ensure that there is compliance with the recommendations which were made”, the ministry said.
This was following the death of thirty-year-old Cindy Jattan who worked as a bond clerk at the company’s Land of Canaan location and was crushed to death on August 26 while she was sitting at her work area which is under a rack upon which had been stored a quantity of assorted hardware supplies.
