Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter
MUNROE
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE DEATH, in separate incidents, of two workers employed to local sugar factories has sparked a call from trade unions for an in-depth study of the safety procedures in the island's sugar factories.
The call comes less than a week after the death of 29-year-old machinist Lloyd Campbell, who died of suffocation after being covered by sugar while unclogging a bin at the Appleton Estate, in St. Elizabeth.
Campbell's death was preceded by that of 23-year-old technician, Kajel Insang of Jackson Town, who was killed in an explosion at the Long Pond Sugar Factory in Trelawny less than a month ago.
"We are requesting a meeting at the highest level of the industry to see how we can put in place measures to prevent the reoccurrence of the accidents that occurred at these estates," said Island Supervisor of the National Workers' Union (NWU), Vincent Morrison on Tuesday.
Professor Trevor Munroe, president of the University and Allied Workers' Union has also joined the call for the audit, stating that there needs to be a strengthening of the safety regulations within the industry.
UNDER-RESOURCED
"The section dealing with factory inspection (at the Ministry of Labour) needs to be strengthened because it is under-manned and under-resourced," said Professor Munroe. He added: "Far more factory inspections and corrective action need to take place in relation to the health and safety priorities in Jamaica."
In response to these statements, Neville Moody, director of the industrial safety department in the Labour Ministry told The Gleaner the department is operating with close to its full compliment of staff.
"We have almost our full compliment of staff for the (inspection) department," said Mr. Moody, who added that the department attempts to examine factories at least once a year."
Seeming to agree with Professor Munroe, Mr. Moody, however, suggested that "There needs to be a full-time health and security practitioner at the sugar factories."
"The sugar factories have quite a number of old machinery," he said. "The companies and also the workers will have to put in place the systems. We are there to monitor and make sure that these systems and procedures are in place for safe operation," said the Labour Ministry official. "If you have a perfect safety procedure in any place, it is unlikely that you will have accidents."
