Members of the Department of Employment Relations attended a briefing on the health and safety standards that will be used on the multi-decade Camana Bay project.
Camana Bay will adopt the United States Occupational Safety and Health Act for all workers, managers and visitors at the development, Cameron Graham, the project’s vice president construction said.
‘The Dart organisation is committed to safety,’ he said. ‘The main reason is we want to avoid serious injuries and fatalities.’
Dart Realty’s assistant project manager construction, Jennie Pacheco, a trained OSHA, outlined for the DER staff and media the aspects of OSHA standards.
Some of the measures under OSHA guidelines include requirements for construction workers to wear hard hats, safety glasses, work boots and long pants at all times on the job site.
‘Long shirts are also recommended, but not required,’ Ms Pacheco said.
Other safety apparatuses such as ear plugs and fitted respirators must also be worn by workers if the job they are doing calls for them.
OSHA standards also contain strict guidelines on the reporting of accidents, injuries or first-aid treatments.
Even near-accidents should be reported so potentially unsafe situations can be analysed and rectified if need be, Ms Pacheco said.
‘We don’t want workers to have any fear of reporting any accidents,’ she said.
Camana Bay will require contractors conduct weekly 10-minuted tool-box meetings on the safe use of different tools.
Contractors must submit special paperwork before they conduct certain tasks deemed hazardous, which outlines the safety measures that will be used, Ms Pacheco said.
Camana Bay requires all contractors to train their employees with regard to the OHSA requirements, Ms Pacheco said.
‘We want each contractor to have a health and safety person to co-ordinate this,’ she said.
Ms Pacheco conducts hour-long safety induction courses for up to 15 people at a time.
Even visitors have to go through a basic safety induction, although for visitors it only takes five minutes, Ms Pacheco said.
DER Senior Compliance Officer Gene Hydes expressed his approval of the Camana Bay initiative.
‘We’re fully behind the whole project and all the safety aspects,’ he said.
Although certain projects like The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, use OSHA standards, DER deputy director Joan Watler said none of the local contractors have adopted all of OSHA’s guidelines as a company-wide policy.
‘We’re trying to adopt some standards on the island,’ she said, noting that many contractors are eager to cooperate.
Minister responsible for Employment Relations Alden McLaughlin said he is looking at the safety issue carefully.
‘One of the big concerns is occupational safety and health in the workplace,’ he said.
‘There has been a huge increase in accidents at construction sites, especially since the hurricane,’ he said, noting there have been two construction-related fatalities this year.
Mr. McLaughlin said the Labour Law requires employers provide a safe working environment, but that the Law’s scope is very general.
‘The reality is we don’t have safety guidelines in law,’ he said.
The problem goes beyond just passing new legislation with specific health and safety guidelines, Mr. McLaughlin explained.
‘The question is also how these guidelines are going to be enforced,’ he said.
‘We need properly trained staff and sufficient numbers of staff for enforcement.’
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