Workers dispute OSHA findings claiming Education Ministry safe for work

The Oc­cu­pa­tion­al Safe­ty and Health Agency (OS­HA) has found that con­di­tions at the Min­istry of Ed­u­ca­tion’s Tow­er A build­ing on Low­er St Vin­cent Street, Port of Spain, did not pose a se­ri­ous health risk to em­ploy­ees, rul­ing that a four-day re­fusal to work by staff was not jus­ti­fied.

The find­ing fol­lows an OS­HA in­ves­ti­ga­tion in­to a re­fusal to work which be­gan on Sep­tem­ber 14, af­ter staff raised con­cerns about san­i­ta­tion, re­port­ed rat sight­ings and rat drop­pings at the build­ing.

In a Sep­tem­ber 21 re­port to Per­ma­nent Sec­re­tary Si­mone Williams, OS­HA in­spec­tor Ed­son Jack­son said no live rats, ev­i­dence of ro­dent ac­tiv­i­ty or vis­i­ble rat drop­pings were ob­served dur­ing his Sep­tem­ber 17 in­spec­tion of the af­fect­ed floors.