The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE


Tribune Chief Reporter


lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE head of the Bahamas Contractors Association (BCA) says a recent spike in industrial accidents highlights a troubling lack of on-site training, as labour officials echoed calls for more retraining across the sector.

Their comments came after police reported two industrial accidents this week, the latest in a series in recent days, some of which were fatal.

The most recent incident occurred on Wednesday on Fire Trail Road West, where a 34-year-old man was trapped beneath a fallen crane.

Two days earlier, a 57-year-old man carrying out streetlight repairs about 20 feet above ground in Seabreeze fell when the bucket truck’s lift mechanism malfunctioned.

The current conditions of both men are unknown.

Leonard Sands, BCA president, called the incidents unfortunate yesterday, but said it “speaks to the lack of training on all industrial sites” and likely represent only a fraction of unreported workplace accidents.

He told The Tribune that safety has largely been treated as an expectation rather than a legal requirement.

“It is the hope that people will be safe,” he said. “You could be sued for not being safe, but we don't have it as a requirement to train how to do things safely so in the absence of training to be safe, you have unsafe practices that occur. That’s the result.”

He noted that while The Bahamas has an Occupational Health and Safety Act outlining the general duties of employers and employees, it doesn’t go far enough in saying how workplaces must ensure safety, including requiring certified training, safety officers and formal safety systems.

Mr Sands said the gap can be addressed through stronger enforcement of existing laws and increased resources to investigate and inspect worksites.

“It's really a lack of enforcement why these incidents is occurring, coupled with the lack of employee and employer obligations; let me say something that directly from the act that people don't appreciate,” he added.

Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle yesterday voiced concern over the recent surge in industrial accidents, emphasising the need for increased training and retraining for heavy equipment operators.

She said the Department of Labour continues to actively inspects job sites and is exploring drone technology, through the OAS, to monitor and support safety in remote and large worksites.

“It is the job of our inspectorate to not only ensure that these safety measures are in place, but like I said, to ensure that there's training, to ensure that the organisation or the company is observing the proper protocols, and where there it is not happening, there are fines that are in place.”

Last month, a construction worker was killed when a hillside collapsed at a site near the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.

Crews spent hours removing his remains, while questions about the incident remain.

On February 12, 49-year-old Kirk Young was working beneath a forklift when it reportedly malfunctioned and collapsed onto him.

Yesterday, Mr Sands noted that the law requires a safety committee, not just an person, to establish, document and enforce safe practices for all employees.