By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) has been without a chief inspector for almost a month.
The position is expected to be filled within a month and a half, said Minister of Labour Stephen Mc Clashie.
Mc Clashie on Friday in Parliament was questioned about the number of vacancies in the agency including that of Chief Inspector.
Member of Parliament for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh asked, “Could the minister inform this house whether the chief inspector of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency was asked to resign by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago based on the preliminary report in relation to the investigation of the deaths of the four divers at Berth 5 on the Petrotrin compound.”
Mc Clashie responded, “I have no such information that is so speculative as to be ridiculous.”
He said, “We at the level of government, we treat with vacancies and people leaving. It happens every day and the chief inspector has moved on and we are now seeking to fill that vacancy.
On the issue of the deaths of the underwater divers, Indarsingh further asked when will OSHA complete its report. However, that question was not allowed to be answered as House Speaker Brigid Annisette-George ruled it “out of order.”
According to Mc Clashie, there are 152 positions listed for the OSH Agency of which 88 are vacant. At the executive level, out of four positions, two were vacant. All of the five positions at the senior management level were currently filled, said the minister. At the inspectorate level out of the 72 positions, there were 47 vacant positions. At the technical support level, there were 62 positions, 33 vacant. And at the auxiliary level, there were nine positions, six vacant.
