The Ministry of Health has been given 21 days in which to address a number of health and safety infractions at the Barataria County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Department or face a complete shutdown which will leave hundreds of citizens without access to social services.
In a letter, dated June 21 and addressed to the ministry’s permanent secretary, Donna Ferraz, the seven-page correspondence detailed the non-conformances discovered during an inspection on May 16.
Submitted by Ranu Persad-Doctor, Safety and Health Inspector I, Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), the majority of the infractions recorded were in the general duty category while other infractions were classified under fire, health and welfare.
Listing the purpose of the inspection as due to “the refusal to work and to ensure compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act Chapter 88:08,” Persad-Doctor challenged the ministry to ensure the problems were rectified within 21 days of receipt of their letter.
She also requested that a status report on corrective action be submitted within the stipulated period and advised that a re-inspection of the facility would be conducted in six weeks to ensure compliance.
Health, Safety and Environmental secretary, National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW), Morgan Charles, said the 90 workers were fed up and angry over the deteriorating physical conditions and the ministry’s failure to address the problems.
Present when the inspection was conducted, Charles said the workers could no longer be expected to continue operating in a building that threatened the safety of both employees and visitors.
People seeking to acquire food badges; request inspections of their premises; report sewer and water leaks; request rodent spraying; report garbage collection and identify over-grown lots will be forced to seek help from other CMOH offices.
Charles said the six-member inspection team would return to the office on July 12 to carry out a second inspection.
However, he has warned that an extension would only be given if “half or more than half of the work has already started on the existing problems.”
Sources at the North West Regional Health Authority said they were instructed to identify alternative buildings where the office could be relocated.
While several properties were highlighted, officials said they were rejected as having not satisfied health and safety requirements but that there were two in the El Socorro area which were “seriously being considered.”
Charles confirmed that information and promised that if either building was found suitable, workers would be moved in by next month with minimal disruption in service. Attempts to secure a comment from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Chief Medical Officer Dr Akenath Misir proved futile.
Among the infractions listed was the lack of a safety and health risk assessment available for review by the inspector; no health and safety policy available at the time of inspection; no health and safety committee; lack of confirmation of the building’s structural integrity; dirty exterior; no maintenance programme for both plant and equipment and vertical and horizontal cracks along the walls.
Others included lack of reports from the government electrical inspectorate; the risk posed to staff as there was a lack of treaders along the stairwell; multiple ceiling leaks and water stains; rusted railings along the stairwell; increased danger to staff as there were no pass through windows and service counters; flooding; lack of storage space; poor housekeeping; overcrowding; obstruction of emergency and fire exits; presence of mold on the ceiling; inadequate number of washrooms and poor ventilation; staff and public sharing sanitary conveniences; and general state of disrepair of washrooms and office.
The report raised concerns about some of the leaks located close to electrical panel boxes which they said “can easily result in a serious shock hazard for anyone accessing the panel to change fuses or reset circuit breakers.”
With the general area being used to store supplies, provide a lunch/recreation space for employees, function as a server room and act as an office to facilitate meetings with members of the public, the inspection team was concerned that it was a public health and safety hazard.
On the issue of overcrowding, they wrote: “There are currently 21 Public Health Inspectors occupying the second floor of the building; 22 administrative personnel on the first floor and 21 administrative and nursing personnel on the ground floor.
“Too many persons occupying a small space can put pressure on the infrastructure and the facilities and this includes bathrooms, desks, air-conditioning and ventilation.
“Overcrowding of the work space was observed because of the lack of storage space for files and excess office furniture and as a result, the emergency exit route was further compromised with furniture being stored in front of the exit.”