Safety veteran urges bosses, workers follow health, safety rules

ioneer workplace safety advocate Orlando ‘Gabby’ Scott has urged adherence to national and international safety standards in creating a sound work environment.

Declaring that “workplace safety is a collective effort”, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) former long-time public relations and health and safety officer stressed the crucial role both employers and employees have to play in forming workplace oversight committees, many of which he declared were not functioning.

Scott was addressing the opening of BWU’s Safety 360 Symposium on Thursday at the union’s Harmony Hall, St Michael headquarters.

Labelling the Safety and Health At Work Act as the “foundation for mutual safety at the workplace”, he pointed out the broader consequences of neglecting workplace safety, which, according to him, goes beyond the immediate risks of accidents.

The neglect of occupational well-being can also have deep emotional impacts on families and can tarnish a company’s public image, he added, noting the “colossal” economic and human toll of workplace accidents, deaths and illnesses.

A central topic of Scott’s address was the functionality of joint safety health committees of managers and staff which he said are vital for upholding safety standards within workplaces.

He delivered a challenge to the audience of private and public sector workers: “How many of these committees are functioning? Is your committee functioning? I know a lot of them are not,” prompting attendees to examine the effectiveness of their own committees.

Conveying the need for readiness against “natural phenomena like hurricanes, earthquakes, and illnesses caused by climate change”, Scott touched on the necessity of being prepared for broader threats such as pandemics and natural disasters, indicating that these are likely to occur again given historical precedents.

The symposium, attended by union members, safety officers, and company representatives, encouraged commitment among the attendees to ensure that their workplace safety committees are not only active but effective.

Scott concluded with a proactive call for vigilance and collaborative effort towards enhancing safety in the workplace: “Look around your workplace and see where you’re falling down. Do inspections.”

Beginning in 1979, Scott, then the BWU’s public relations officer, began to advocate the adoption of national occupational and safety standards in fields, offices and factories. After working to ensure that collective bargaining agreements contained provisions for protective clothing and gear, and industrial safety protocols, he later turned his attention to mental health and chronic lifestyle diseases.

Scott co-drafted the national workplace wellness policy and his advocacy contributed to the passage of the Safety and Health at Work Act of 2005 and a series of regulations that replaced the 1983 Factories Act.