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.
However, a worker has since provided photographs and videos showing what the worker identified as live and dead rats and rat droppings on the compound. The material has not been independently verified.
The OSHA report said bait traps had been placed in affected office areas by the Public Health Department and were being monitored daily by the Ministry’s Facilities Management Team.
Management also committed to daily cleaning and sanitisation of the affected floors, while additional pest-control and preventive measures were being implemented.
However, OSHA acknowledged that it was unable to independently verify the extent, effectiveness or outcome of the pest-control intervention because supporting documentation or a formal pest-control report from the Ministry of Health was not available at the time of the inspection.
Despite this, Jackson concluded that the conditions did not expose employees to an unacceptable health risk and that the refusal to work from September 14 to 17 was not justified.
Workers have since questioned the findings and said they intend to contest the report.
Messages from staff indicate that their concerns extend beyond rodents to mould and poor air quality. Workers said they want the building closed and all floors properly sanitised by a professional pest-control company rather than workers from The National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited (MTS).
One worker also questioned the inspection process, saying affected staff were not consulted by the OSHA inspector.
The worker claimed the inspector instead spoke with management and some officers who were afraid to leave their offices because they were on contract.
Workers also said the Joint Consultation Committee had requested a copy of an air-quality report but had not received it.
Staff are now awaiting direction from the Public Services Association. Guardian Media has reached out to the PSA for comment.
The OSHA report advises that anyone aggrieved by the inspector’s decision can apply to the Chief Inspector for a review under Section 18(3) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
