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Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Sen. Dr. the Honourable Esther Byer-Suckoo, left, speaking with Chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), Peter Earle, during a committee meeting which was held at the Ministry earlier this week.

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All that needs to be done on the administrative level, in regards to passing the health and safety legislation, is complete.

This proclamation came from Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Sen. Dr. the Honourable Esther Byer-Suckoo, during a committee meeting which was held at the Ministry recently. She revealed that there are still a few minor details that need to be discussed between her and the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) before the complete implementation of the safety and health legislation, as it was NACOSH’s role to advise her on issues related to safety and health.

The Senator went on to mention that she was pleased that the discussion of safety and health and the work that needed to be done in the workplace, called for company committees to broaden their scope, which not only involved the necessity to protect against occupational, physical and chemical hazards, but also started to include the concept of workplace wellness.

The Minister further pointed out that people are realising the importance attached to workplace wellness, while noting that she had seen the development of committees focusing on the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, dealing with stress in workplaces, helping persons to understand dieting and cooking, exercise programmes, as well as other aspects of workplace wellness that were not envisaged at the beginning of the legislation.

Another area of the legislation that pleased the Senator was the fact that the committees were made up of staff and management which allowed for there to be a healthy dialogue between the two entities so that the workplace issues were adequately addressed as well as able to make significant changes in the workplace which would benefit both parties. For example, she said that she recently saw that the union called for employers to start discussing menopause and the effects that it has on women in the workplace and how workplace environments affect women going through menopause and what can be done to benefit both employee and employer in that situation.

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