 ?? |
| Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Andrew Cox. (C. Pitt/BGIS) |
In an effort to encourage and promote safety and health management systems within the business community, the Labour Department is developing a National Safety Management System and a National Safety Awards Scheme.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Andrew Cox, made this disclosure on Tuesday at a seminar held during the Week of Excellence at Solidarity House.
Mr. Cox said the decision to create the initiatives was the result of a national consultation with stakeholders. He further revealed that the National Safety Management System was in an advanced stage of development.
Explaining that the programme was "voluntary", he said companies that signed on would be evaluated based on "the degree to which risk assessments are conducted; accident, incident and illness statistics; the level of compliance with the Safety and Health at Work Act, and management commitment and employee involvement."
The Permanent Secretary pointed out that such an initiative would recognise the efforts of businesses that demonstrated positive safety and health performances and those organisations would be awarded designations from platinum to bronze.
??"The platinum designation will be given to companies which demonstrate excellence in the management and promotion of occupational safety and health," he said, adding that the National Safety Award Scheme would be aligned with the National Safety Management System.??
"[The National Safety Awards Scheme] is expected to be a bi-annual event and companies will receive recognition for the achievement of exemplary standards in occupational safety and health," Mr. Cox explained.??
Awards would be conferred in three categories; small, medium and large enterprise.??