The Importance of Exercising Occupational Safety on the Job

Terel Matura

Over the weekend, the country lost an electrician after he was shocked to death while doing some repair work. He is one of several persons who have died over the past year because they were not wearing adequate protective gear, the tools and equipment left much to be desired, or they did not personally exercise standard operating procedures while on the job, or all of these factors combined. And all of these issues would be addressed in one piece of legislation that has yet to be enacted in Belize. Terel Matura died on a private job when his body made contact with a wire that was still connected to the grid. Today, News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with an instructor who explains what can go wrong when adequate safety measures are not adhered to while dealing with live electrical connections.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The latest victim of an incident involving occupational safety is twenty-three-year-old Terel Matura, a father of a toddler daughter. Matura was doing some electrical work at a residence at mile eight and needed to climb into an attic. That was when tragedy occurred. But Matura and many more that perform dangerous tasks do not need to die on the job. Isai Che is an electrical instructor at the ITVET in Belize City.

Isai Che

Isai Che, Electrical Instructor, ITVET, Belize City

“Sometimes electricians have the misunderstanding that it’s only because it’s 110 volts, this might not hurt you, right. But we must be very clear that it’s not really the voltage that kills you. It’s the current. Even a small amount of current. can kill you, so we must have that very clear that we must adhere to safety at all times, right. Even if it’s a small voltage, small current, you always emphasize on safety.  Whenever you already have diagnosed the problem, and you want to make corrections and so forth, you must de-energize the panel, no?”

Marion Ali

“Which means turn off the breaker?”

Isai Che

“Turn off the breaker, correct.”

Safety means turning off potentially dangerous connections before making the changes or adjustments necessary. And perhaps most important of all is wearing protective gear.

Isai Che

“Use your proper protective equipment, right, P.P.Es”

Marion Ali

“And these include what?”

Isai Che

“These include using your helmet, your vest, especially whenever you’re on the job site, you want people to know, to identify you and that’s one also. And also your gloves, you want your safety gloves, because whenever you’re working with energized equipment, you want to have your safety gloves; also using the proper tool for the job.”

President of the N.T.U.C.B, Luke Martinez is an avid proponent of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, otherwise known as the OSH Bill. He explains that the OSH has standards that protect employers and employees.

Luke Martinez

Luke Martinez, President, N.T.U.C.B

“It protects the worker, it protects the employer, and it also protects the customer, right?  In a situation where you have workers being injured on the job, and sometimes because of negligence, this bill also protects the worker from his or her own negligence. It’s going to be a case where if you are injured because of your negligence, for example, you have PPEs, the sector that you’re in,  it, has certain standards, health and safety standards, and you don’t follow these standards  and the policies that comes along with it, then of course,  the, worker would then have to face whatever  penalty that comes with it.”

A common practice that is negligent is when some people decide not to ground electrical appliances.

Isai Che

“At all times we must try to ground all fixtures, right? That’s why we must have our ground wire. Sometimes electricians tend to ignore it because they see that the fixture outlet still works, no? Without the ground – there is a reason behind having a ground, okay, because, in an electrical fault, the ground wire is right there because the entire system is grounded. So if the entire system is grounded, and you’re getting in contact with the appliance, the grounding system is what protects us. From the moment you ignore it, that becomes a hazard.”

The Ministry of Labour has now completed and shared the draft working document for the OSH Bill and Martinez said that they are now reviewing the document with its various affiliates. Marion Ali for News Five.