| Occupational
safety and health is an
important issue for the trade union movement.
The intention of this page
is to provide a resource to enable readers to go directly to other sources
of useful information.
NUGFW Branches,
Sections and Divisions can seek further information, support and
intervention from the Union's Occupational Safety, Health and Environment
Department at the Union's Head Office, 145-147 Henry Street, Port of
Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
Contact can be made
by phone: 623-4591
or e-mail: headoffice@nugfw.org.tt
Legislation
in Trinidad & Tobago
The
Occupational Safety and Health Act has now been passed but is waiting to
be implemented.
Safety
legislation in Trinidad and Tobago has its roots in old colonial law and
is based largely on the 1950 Factories Ordinance. The trade union movement
has been campaigning for new legislation for many years.
The
following list
sets out the current health and safety legislation in operation in
Trinidad and Tobago:
-
Factories
Ordinance 1950 Ch 30 No 2
-
Mines
Borings and Quarries Act Ch 61:01
-
Gas
Cylinders Act Ch 35:52
-
Boilers
Regulations 1949
-
Air
Pressure Container Regulations 1949
-
Distillery
Safety Regulations 1949
-
Factories
(Welfare) Regulations 1951
-
Factories
(Electricity) Regulations 1951
-
Factories
(Cleaning of Machinery) Regulations 1949
-
Woodworking
Machinery Regulations 1949
-
Electric
Accumulator Order 1974
-
Factories
Protective Measures Order 1977
Links
Health
& Safety in the Caribbean
The Caribbean
Environment Health Institute (CEHI) your e-source of Caribbean
environmental information.
International
Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS)
This is a a
unit of the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. CIS
was established in 1959 with the aim of collecting all relevant
information about occupational safety and health (OSH) being published
around the world, whatever the format and the language.
Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (U.S. Department of Labor)
OSHA
and its state partners have approximately 2100 inspectors, plus complaint
discrimination investigators, engineers, physicians, educators, standards
writers, and other technical and support personnel spread over more than
200 offices throughout the country. This staff establishes protective
standards, enforces those standards, and reaches out to employers and
employees through technical assistance and consultation programmes.
The
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
(CCOHS) promotes a
safe and healthy working environment by providing information and advice
about occupational health and safety.
UK
Health & Safety Executive
The
Health and Safety Executive is the statutory authority in Britain
responsible for overseeing occupational safety matters.
Institute
of Occupational Safety and Health
IOSH,
claims to be "Europe's leading body for health and safety
professionals", represents 26,000 members in over 50 countries. An
independent, not-for-profit organisation, the Institution regulates and
steers the profession, maintaining standards and providing impartial,
authoritative advice on health and safety issues.
Safety
Net
The
home page of the Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department
of Labour, New Zealand
National
Occupational Health and Safety Commission
The NOHSC works with the
the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Council
of Trade Unions, to work cooperatively on national priorities for
improving OHS and to achieve minimum national targets for reducing the
incidence of workplace deaths and injuries.
HAZARDS
Magazine
Hazards
is the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major
international awards. Workplace unions are your best hope for better,
safer work - and Hazards
provides the information and resources to make the union job easier. Hazards
looks behind the company safety hype, and gives union answers to workplace
problems. Using a global network of union safety correspondents, Hazards
makes sure you have the best information available anywhere.
Global
Asbestos Congress
The first-ever
international conference to give voice to millions of asbestos victims
world-wide.
British
Trade Union Congress
Thanks
to union campaigning, Britain has comprehensive health and safety
legislation. The TUC continues to campaign for safer workplaces and helps
unions and health and safety reps tackle problems at work.
International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
Almost
10 years after the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, governments have yet
to adopt effective measures for worldwide action to counter the alarming
pace of environmental degradation. At the same time, the pressures of
increased competition and budget cuts are leading to a steady erosion of
existing health and safety standards and programmes.
New
Zealand Council of Trade Unions
The
New Zealand unions are campaigning to make sure our new law leads to
healthier and safer workplaces. Elected health and safety reps are key to
the law working well. The CTU is co-ordinating a major campaign for health
and safety reps and for all union members.
American
Fedration of Labor-Congress of Industrial Unions (AFL-CIO - United States)
"You
have a right to safe jobs—your job isn't supposed to injure, kill or
maim. But each year more than 6 million American workers are injured or
become sick on the job—50,000 American workers die from occupational
illness—nearly 6,000 are killed on the job."
Australian
Council of Trade Unions
A useful
list of labour and government links.
International
Labour Organisation
The ILO has at least two web sites as well as a number of important
Conventions on healthand safety issues for workers. Two useful sites are:
Also
of interest is a booklet published by the Caribbean Office of the ILO:
Handbook
for Joint Occupational Safety and Health Committees in the
English-speaking Caribbean (Prepared
by Karl Kjaer, ILO Consultant on Occupational Safety and Health, 1997).
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