By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

CONSTRUCTION firms yesterday warning that health and safety enforcement must be matched by clearer regulations, consultation and education to avoid unnecessary delays and higher costs while backing the Government’s push to improve workplaces following a string of fatal job site accidents. 

Their comments come as the Department of Labour moves to strengthen enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act, including plans to increase the number of occupational safety and health inspectors to 30 by the end of the year, having recently shut down “unsafe work practices” at four New Providence construction sites.

Don Williams, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC) chairman, said the Health and Safety at Work Act requires a comprehensive review involving all stakeholders.

“We know that health and safety needs to go through a little bit of an overhaul,” Mr Williams said. “We need to get all stakeholders back to the table so that we could refine the Act.”

Noting that billions of dollars’ worth of construction projects are underway across The Bahamas, he said the Chamber has been working alongside the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) to ensure safety reforms are practical as well as effective.

While recognising the Government’s increased focus on enforcing existing laws, Mr Williams cautioned against unnecessarily disrupting construction activity. “We’re trying to ensure that those actions are currently in line, that they’re productive for all concerned,” he said.

“We’re trying to ensure there’s a holistic approach to it to ensure that you’re not inconveniencing a business, a development, a project because that does not only cost money in terms of the shutdown, but you’re talking about jobs, you’re talking about incomes, you’re talking about households. Our stance is we’re trying to find the happy medium in between.”

While there was broad agreement that safer construction sites are essential, contractors argued that the current legislative framework lacks sufficient clarity to ensure consistent enforcement.

Ambika Rahming-Cooper, construction administrator and designer with Adrian Reid Construction, questioned whether contractors have been given adequate guidance on exactly what standards inspectors will be enforcing.

“Do they have an actual guideline that they are requiring contractors or construction sites to follow, besides what we already know should be practiced?” she said.

“From my view, you can’t enforce something that I don’t know should be enforceable. So if I don’t know what the rules are, how can I abide by the rules? Are you just showing up haphazardly and saying, ‘Hey, this and that?’

Ms Rahming-Cooper argued that before ramping up inspections, the Government should publish clear guidelines and conduct industry-wide education. When asked whether the Health and Safety at Work Act provides sufficiently clear definitions of safe and unsafe workplaces, she replied: “I would say so. Again, I think there isn’t sufficient public knowledge of what it is.

“You need to be a little bit more explicit in what it is that you want me to do, or what you’re considering as a safe work environment. What I’ve seen is that the rules in The Bahamas change. It’s very fluid when it’s supposed to be pretty standard across the board.”

Ms Rahming-Cooper warned that inconsistent enforcement and stop-work orders could significantly disrupt projects. “If my site is shut down for a week, my project is now stalled by a week,” she said. “I have unhappy clients. I have unhappy financial institutions, and it’s going to cost me more.” 

Nevertheless, Ms Rahming-Cooper stressed that safer worksites ultimately benefit the industry. “I believe safer work sites would strengthen it, but again, it has to be done fairly across the board.”

She identified falls and the improper use of tools as the biggest day-to-day safety risks on construction sites, and argued that education should take precedence over hiring additional inspectors.

Ms Rahming-Cooper also said the Government had not sufficiently engaged the industry, suggesting officials partner with the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) to improve awareness.

Matthew Munroe, principal of Integrity Roofing & Construction, also supported stronger safety oversight adding that recent enforcement efforts have changed behaviour within the industry as contractors can become complacent over time.

“Obviously, over the last couple of months, we’ve been having a lot of fatalities,” Mr Munroe said. “I even started to look at things a little bit differently within my business. I wanted my guys to wear safety harnesses more, regardless of how steep or low pitch the roof might be. Sometimes we typically get a little bit comfortable.”

Rather than criticising the legislation itself, Mr Munroe suggested the greater problem is limited public awareness. He credited the Bahamian Contractors Association for helping educate the industry but said broader participation is needed.

Mr Munroe said he would support construction-specific safety regulations, although he believes the industry itself must also take greater responsibility. “We can’t just rely only on one entity,” he said.

Addressing daily safety challenges, Mr Munroe said worker compliance remains one of the biggest obstacles. “I’ve had guys that would say they don’t want to put the harness on because it’s a regular roof,” he said. “But now I’m at a point because of what’s going on, I’m making it almost mandatory.”

He added that contractors must be prepared to discipline workers who repeatedly ignore safety procedures. “If we have to make adjustments with regards to maybe laying guys off for a certain period so that they can understand how serious it is… then so be it,” he added.

Although adopting international safety standards may increase project costs, Mr Munroe argued the investment is justified, adding that “a human’s life is worth more than not doing it”.