1. DR. CYRIL D. PALTOO M.B.B.S.
(UWI); Dip. P.C.F.M. (UWI)

2.  What is Occupational Health
 Articles in the ILO Convention 161
 What is in the OSH Act and its medical
requirements
 The Global Plan of Action (2008-2017)
 How is the medical team and the Ministry of
Health positioned to deal with OSH
 Conclusion

3.  The primary objective is to determine how can
accidents and incidents be prevented in the
workplace
 A strong preventative approach is needed
 What then constitute a strong preventative
approach?

4. Since 1950, the International Labour
Organization (ILO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have shared a
common definition of Occupational
Health.
It was adopted by the Joint ILO/WHO
Committee on Occupational Health at its
first session in 1950 and revised at its
twelfth session in 1994.

5.  “Occupational Health should aim at: the
promotion and maintenance of the highest degree
of physical, mental and social well-being of
workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst
workers of departures from health caused by their
working conditions; the protection of workers in
their employment from risks resulting from factors
adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of
the worker in an occupational environment
adapted to his physiological and psychological
capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation of
work to man and of each man to his job.”

6. Articles in this convention which will be
mentioned are:-
1. Article 1
2. Article 2
3. Article 3
4. Article 5
5. Article 9

7.  Article 1: (The two terms used)
(a) the term occupational health services means
services entrusted with essentially preventive
functions and responsible for advising the
employer, the workers and their representatives in
the undertaking on-
(i) the requirements for establishing and maintaining
a safe and healthy working environment which
will facilitate optimal physical and mental health
in relation to work;
(ii) the adaptation of work to the capabilities of
workers in the light of their state of physical and
mental health;

8. Article 1 (cont):-
(b) the term workers' representatives in
the undertaking means persons who
are recognised as such under
national law or practice.

9.  Article 2
In the light of national conditions and practice
and in consultation with the most
representative organisations of employers and
workers, where they exist, each Member shall
formulate, implement and periodically review
a coherent national policy on occupational
health services.

10. Article 3.
 1. Each Member undertakes to develop progressively
occupational health services for all workers, including
those in the public sector and the members of
production co-operatives, in all branches of economic
activity and all undertakings. The provision made
should be adequate and appropriate to the specific
risks of the undertakings.
 2. If occupational health services cannot be
immediately established for all undertakings, each
Member concerned shall draw up plans for the
establishment of such services in consultation with the
most representative organisations of employers and
workers, where they exist.

11. Article 5
…….occupational health services shall have such of the
following functions as are adequate and appropriate to the
occupational risks of the undertaking:
(a) identification and assessment of the risks from health
hazards in the workplace;
(b) surveillance of the factors in the working environment and
working practices which may affect workers' health,
including sanitary installations, canteens and housing where
these facilities are provided by the employer;
(c) advice on planning and organisation of work, including the
design of workplaces, on the choice, maintenance and
condition of machinery and other equipment and on
substances used in work;

12. (d) participation in the development of programmes for the
improvement of working practices as well as testing and
evaluation of health aspects of new equipment;
(e) advice on occupational health, safety and hygiene and on
ergonomics and individual and collective protective
equipment;
(f) surveillance of workers' health in relation to work;
(g) promoting the adaptation of work to the worker;
(h) contribution to measures of vocational rehabilitation;
(i) collaboration in providing information, training and
education in the fields of occupational health and hygiene
and ergonomics;
(j) organising of first aid and emergency treatment;
(k) participation in analysis of occupational accidents and
occupational diseases.

13. Article 9
1. In accordance with national law and practice,
occupational health services should be
multidisciplinary. The composition of the personnel
shall be determined by the nature of the duties to be
performed.
2. Occupational health services shall carry out their
functions in co-operation with the other services in the
undertaking.
3. Measures shall be taken, in accordance with national
law and practice, to ensure adequate co-operation and
co-ordination between occupational health services
and, as appropriate, other bodies concerned with the
provision of health services.

14. The Occupational Safety and Health Act was assent to on
the 30th January 2004. It follows closely to the
CARICOM Model. It was then published in the Trinidad
and Tobago Gazette Volume 43 Number 20 on the 5th
February 2004.
The Factories Ordinance of 1948 was still law at this point
in time.
The Note on Proclamation (LN48/2006) stated that the act
was brought into force on the 17th day of February 2006
with the exception of section 98.

15. 6. (1) It shall be the duty of every
employer to ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, the
safety, health and welfare at
work of all his employees.

16. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of an
employer’s duty under subsection (1), the
matters to which that duty extends
include in particular—
(a) the provision and maintenance of
plant and systems of work that are, so far
as is reasonably practicable, safe and
without risks to health;

17.  (b) arrangements for ensuring, so far as is
reasonably practicable, safety and absence of
risks to health in connection with the use,
handling, storage and transport of equipment,
machinery, articles and substances;
 (c) the provision of adequate and suitable
protective clothing or devices of an approved
standard to employees who in the course of
employment are likely to be exposed to the risk
of head, eye, ear, hand or foot injury, injury from
air contaminant………

18. (3) An employer shall—
(a) ensure that all hazardous chemicals
present in the industrial establishment
are labeled in a way easily
understandable to the employees, or are
identified in the prescribed manner;
(b) obtain or prepare, as may be prescribed,
an unexpired chemical safety data sheet
for all hazardous chemicals present in the
workplace;

19. (9) An employer shall, after being notified by a female
employee that she is pregnant and upon
production of a medical certificate to that effect,
adapt the working conditions of the female
employee to ensure that she is not—
(a) involved in the use of, or exposed to,
chemicals, substances or anything dangerous to
the health of the unborn child; or
(b) subjected to working conditions dangerous
to the health of the unborn child, and where
appropriate, the employer may assign alternative
work, where available, to her without prejudice to
her right to return to her previous job.

20.  Recalling and recognizing the recommendations of
the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002) on strengthening
WHO action on occupational health and linking it to
public health
 Recalling the Promotional Framework for
Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006,
and the other international instruments in the area of
occupational safety and health adopted by the
General Conference of the ILO;
 Considering that the health of workers is determined
not only by occupational hazards, but also by social
and individual factors, and access to health services;

21.  Mindful that interventions exist for primary
prevention of occupational hazards and for
developing healthy workplaces;
 Concerned that there are major gaps between
and within countries in the exposure of
workers and local communities to occupational
hazards and in their access to occupational
health services;
 Stressing that the health of workers is an
essential prerequisite for productivity and
economic development,

22.  To develop and implement national policies,
action plans and programs on OH
 To protect and promote health at the workplace
 To improve performance and access to OH
services
 To provide and communicate evidence for
preventive actions
 To address workers through non-health
policies

23.  They unanimously committed full support
development of a WHO global plan of action
on workers health
 Despite availability of effective interventions,
too many workers were still exposed to
unacceptable occupational risks and fall
victims to occupational diseases and work
accidents.
 On the contrary, too few have access to
occupational health services.

24. This shows that there is very little focus on
worker health matters and on occupational
illness surveillance challenges.
There is limited availability of qualified Industrial
medicine and industrial hygiene practitioners.
There is absence of OH/IH regulations (ACOPs
etc.- approved code of practice) and limited
extent of IHS (Industrial Hygiene Surveys)
because of it’s inability to pay for these services
Overall the national OSH culture is not
considered.

25. Goals are simply stated and there is a need to
bring OH to the front burner and link
resources.
There is need to encourage an appropriate
national culture, i.e. health seeking behaviours
and also to encourage industry to pursue
comprehensive worker health strategies.
There is need to influence the development of
effective national policies for health and
influence establishment of accessible,
affordable OH services.

26. The Ministry of Health has
now developed and
published a policy on
Occupational Safety and
Health

27. “The Ministry of Health is a proactive institution that makes sound
evidence-based decisions to assure standards of excellence are achieved
by all agencies that promote, protect and improve the health of the
people of Trinidad and Tobago.”
“Our mission is to provide leadership for the health sector by focusing on policy
making, planning, monitoring and regulation. The Ministry of Health will set national
priorities based on needs assessment and will influence the provision of care by a
combination of financing and regulation of public and private services.”
Mrs. Sandra Jones Permanent Secretary
•Promotion of Occupational Safety and Health
•Creating awareness on Occupational Safety and Health
•Prevention of Occupational Diseases
•Safety of Plants and Machinery
•Medical Surveillance and examination of workers
•The Safety and Health of employees and the Public
•Processing of work injury benefits claim
•Emergency Evacuation Plan

28. The majority of developing countries lack
the political mechanisms to translate
scientific findings into effective policies.
In reality policy makers in the developing
world do not lack information.
They are driven by the need to address
more pressing social and health issues
that are politically less complicated and
more saleable to the general public.

29.  Workers Health and Safety is protected under
the OSH Act of 2004 amended 2006
 The International Labour Organization (ILO)
has set out criteria in its articles
 Specific medical issues in the OSH act
 Global Plan of Action (2008-2017)
 The Ministry’s position on OSH