CMNT_TITLE

Repetition

Legislation. Technical assistance. The Committee notes with interest that the Government has requested ILO technical assistance in the form of legislative comments on the 2015 draft Employment Bill and the 2015 Occupational Safety and Health Bill and that the Office transmitted these comments, including with regard to labour inspection, to the Government in March 2016 and September 2016, respectively. The Committee requests that the Government provide a copy of the Employment Bill and the Occupational Safety and Health Bill once they have been adopted.

Articles 3(1)(a) and (b), and 5(a) of the Convention. Preventive and enforcement action by labour officers in the field of occupational safety and health, including in cooperation with other entities. In its previous comments, the Committee noted a high frequency of occupational accidents in certain sectors, and emphasized the importance of the educational role of labour inspectors in preventing such accidents. In this regard, the Committee also noted the Government’s reference to increased cooperation with the Legal and Health Departments aimed at strengthening the enforcement of the relevant legal provisions. The Committee requests that the Government provide information on the preventive and enforcement action undertaken by the labour inspectors. In this regard, it requests the Government to provide information on the advice and technical information provided to both employers and workers (during inspection visits, workshops, media campaigns, exhibitions, etc.), and on the enforcement of occupational safety and health requirements (including the number of inspection visits undertaken, violations detected and penalties imposed, etc.).

Article 7(3). Training of labour inspectors. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous request concerning the training provided to labour inspectors in the course of their duties. It further notes that the Government indicates that it has requested ILO technical assistance for the training of labour officers on occupational safety and health matters from the ILO Caribbean Office. The Committee hopes that the Office will provide the technical assistance requested and requests that the Government continue to provide information on the training provided to labour inspectors in the course of their duties.

Article 14. Notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease. In reply to its previous comments, the Committee notes that the Government has provided a copy of the Accidents and Occupational Diseases (Notification) Act (revised in 2011) which sets out the procedure for the notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease to the Labour Commissioner. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that relevant statistics are drawn from the statistical report of the national insurance scheme. The Committee takes note of this information.