Project seeks safety in the workplace

Safety in the workplace is the goal of the U.S. Department of Labour and Belize’s Ministry of Labour. The topic will be discussed at length during a Regional Occupational Safety and Health Project, which was launched today at the Radisson.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

This project, once under way is expected to save businesses and Central American governments millions of dollars by simply preventing accidents and promoting safety in the workplace. The program intends to strengthen the work of the Ministry of Labour by training staff members. Also planned is the development of a National Commission of Workplace Safety to oversee the project once implemented.

Viondetta Lopez, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Labour

“Our role is to help design, help implement, and help put into practice those safety practices that will help reduce accidents in the future.”

This program has come at a time when we are very aware of the dangers in the workplace. During the past few weeks, two men in the construction business have been electrocuted while working near power lines. Reducing this type of danger, is the first goal of the Labour Department.

Adelfino Vasquez, Labor Department

“The project will be addressing occupational health and safety in all aspects here in Belize. We will identify a specific industry where we will use it as a pilot project. Especially an industry where you have high incidents of occupational health and safety accidents. We will try to show the economic benefits that are derived from it.”

Although an industry has not yet been identified, the program has been tested in U.S. based businesses. Since 1990, the participating companies have had significant decreases in work related accidents. Valdemar Castillo, Minister of Labour is hoping that after implementing the program, we will have similar positive results in Belize.

Valdemar Castillo, Minister of Labour

“This project, is aimed for twenty-four months, I would say. I think that after that we could start think about a center in Belize as well. Maybe each country in this region will have its center.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Jose Sanchez.

The longterm goal of the project is to enable all participating countries to independently sustain the program.