Health and Safety Act under review |26 June 2013

The Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development Idith Alexander said the continued increase in economic activities in the country calls for more updated work and safety regulations to meet modern day needs and demands of the labour market.

She said the Act was last reviewed in 1999.
Minister Alexander gave those details in answer to a question by elected member for Anse Etoile Melval Dugasse who had asked the minister of her ministry’s plans to review the Health and Safety Act.

She explained that there are five phases to the review process and these include research to determine aspects which need review, consultations with partners and stakeholders to seek their inputs on propositions and recommendations, submissions of recommendations to government, submissions to the attorney general for drafting before being presented to the National Assembly.

Minister Alexander said the Occupational Safety Board in her ministry in relation to the first phase of the review has already proposed some amendment to the Act and a consultant has already been identified for the second phase of the review which is consultation with partners and stakeholders to seek their input.

Meanwhile Minister Alexander has said her ministry has stepped up workplace inspection for safety and security purposes and these are carried out jointly with other ministries and agencies like immigration, health ministry and others.

She noted that as a result of these inspections work related accidents have gone down by 23% over the past five years.
Last year only 99 cases of minor accidents were reported compared to 112 in 2011.