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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Friday, May 09, 2003 - Occupational Health and Safety measures must be
adopted, to help curb the number of workplace accidents which occur, some of
which cause serious injuries to employees.
This admonition is coming from the Senior Occupational Health and Safety Officer
at the Department of Labour Lesmond Magloire, who noted that so far the
construction and the hotel sectors are the leading sources of reported cases of
on the job accidents.
Magloire says workplace accidents will continue to occur if proper provisions
are not instituted in the workplace or if people are simply not educated about
safety measures. He suspects that many persons are ignorant on the issues of
Occupational Health and Safety. Magloire says the ILO and the WHO worked jointly
to formulate a definition of Occupational Health and Safety for both employers
and employees.
“This is important in the sense that it tells a lot. The old thinking - are you
going to make the man to fit the shoe or the shoe to fit the man? These are the
questions you have to ask yourself even as a manager. What is important to you,
or what is more important? Is it the man, the machinery or the equipment you’re
using or the environment you’re going to have the man produce in?”
Another aspect of Occupational Health and Safety which receives little attention
is its linkage with sustainable development, public health and the environment.
However it has been proven that many chemicals that are harmful to man’s health
are hazardous to the environment.
The Department of Labour relies on data collected through three main forms which
have to be filled by workers whenever accidents occur. They are the Dangerous
Occurrence, Injury and Accidents, and Notification of Occupational Accidents and
Diseases forms. After the Department receives this information further
investigations and analysis are then carried out.
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