OSH Bill seeks to protect workers from employment injuries and diseases
The Occupational Safety and Health Bill (2017) is now before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament, with the first meeting held on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. The OSH Bill is intended to repeal the Factories Act (1943), which is limited in scope and excludes vital sectors, such as the financial sector, shops and offices, agriculture and the public sector.
Speaking at the Joint Select Committee, Minister of State, Zavia Mayne said, “ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide essential tools for governments, employers and workers to establish practices that ensure safety at work.” He further informed that according to the ILO, “approximately 2.3 million people die every year at work from an occupational injury or disease.”
The introduction of the OSH Bill in Jamaica is expected to usher in a new paradigm in work place Safety and Health.