The safety and health of workers across various sectors, particularly construction and factory workers, have been a growing cause for concern for many people.

Karl Samuda, Minister of Labour and Social Security who was speaking in parliament on Wednesday (March 26) during the 2023/2024 Sectoral Debate said that while there has been a reduction in the reported number of fatal accidents on job sites over the past year, there is more to be done by employers to ensure the safety of workers.

“While we applaud the increase in construction projects island-wide, there have been some significant shortcomings on the part of contractors and developers in maintaining safe systems of work to prevent occurrences of accidents and injuries,” the Minister said.

According to the Ministry’s data, 192 accidents were reported over the past year, compared to 221 in the previous year.

Of the number of reported accidents for the past year, 141 occurred in factories, compared to 174 last year. Accidents at construction projects decreased by one from 43 to 42.

The number of reported accidents on docks saw a massive increase over the period, moving from four to nine.

However, there was a slight decline in the number of fatalities, moving from seven to three, with one occurring at a factory, one at a construction project and one at a dock.

In response to the decline in the number of fatalities recorded over the past year, Samuda said: I must emphasize that although there has been a reduction in the fatality rate across industries, we at this Ministry are certainly not satisfied with the numbers. We maintain that “One fatal accident is one too many”. I am therefore imploring all employers, developers, contractors and workers to play their part to properly manage hazards and the associated risks within the workplace.”

Samuda said that the Ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health team has been working diligently to preserve the safety and health of workers in all sectors.

The Minister noted that the Ministry has implemented a strategy to promote increased awareness and compliance with safety and health regulations across industries, particularly factories and construction projects.

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