Ahuma Jane Arimah, a member of Prof. Kahwa's team sampling chemicals abandoned at Kingston Wharves
JAMAICA CONTINUES to struggle to effectively manage hazardous materials and waste and to learn suitable behaviour and attitudes for safe use, handling and disposal of such materials. Problems with management of lead, asbestos and pesticide waste have come into sharp focus but the challenge seems to be deeper. Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa's research group, with funding and support from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), has studied the nature of the health threat posed by hazardous materials.
ENLIGHTEN THE PUBLIC
The information gathered was used to conduct islandwide workshops, in collaboration with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), to enlighten the public, especially workers, on the risk of improper use, handling and disposal of potentially hazardous materials like asbestos.
The team has also built capacity to identify, remove and dispose of asbestos installations and waste while the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has established a dedicated landfill site for asbestos disposal. UWI through Prof. Kahwa has also been a key partner with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) which will launch asbestos policies soon.
Prof. Kahwa's group is now studying the hazardous materials and waste situation in the large and poorly regulated informal sector, which constitutes over 40 per cent of GDP in Jamaica. The team's objectives are to: (1) identify and
characterise informal sector Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health (OESH) deviant practices (2) assess their qualitative and quantitative impact; (3) develop educational programmes promoting safety and health in the informal sector operations; and (4) develop a suite of policy instruments for use by local and central governments and civic groups to cultivate OESH compliant cultures.
OUR FIRST HAZMAT TEAM
Prof. Kahwa's team, EFJ and NEPA are to develop Jamaica's first Hazardous Materials unit. The team was also asked by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Land and Environment with support and funding from the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) to assist the Jamaica Customs to effectively deal with the chemical stockpiles at the island's ports of entry.
A suite of new educational programmes at the bachelor, master and Ph.D. levels have been developed and are to begin in 2006/7 at UWI Mona.
These programmes will increase Jamaica's capacity, expertise and entrepreneurship in OESH and eventually lead to better monitoring and enforcement of laws and regulations which protect worker and environmental safety and health.
The programmes development was achieved with funding from the EFJ and collaboration between Prof. Kahwa's team, Prof. Neville Ying of the Labour Studies Programme (UWI Mona) and Mr. Milton Pinnock of the Community Health Section of the Faculty of Medical Sciences and participation of many stakeholders from industry, Jamaica Employment Federation (JEF), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, JCTU, NEPA and NIOSH (USA).
