Assessment of current occupational safety and health regulations and legislation in the Caribbean/Evaluacion de los reglamentos y la legislacion actuales sobre seguridad y salud de los trabajadores en el Caribe

Neglecting occupational safety and health (OSH) can have adverse and even deadly consequences. While OSH is important in any nation, the issue is particularly concerning in developing countries, including ones in the Caribbean. The purpose of this study, which was carried out in 2012 and 2013, was to examine the reasons for an apparent fundamental lack of awareness of OSH in the Caribbean. We conducted a descriptive study, in which a questionnaire was administered, via telephone, to key policy-making representatives from six English-speaking Caribbean nations, in order to assess the current OSH environment in their countries. We also did a situational analysis of current OSH regulations and legislation within the six countries. We found that that some of the countries' OSH laws are out of date or are limited to a certain type of industry. We also found that there is very little documentation on research on exposure to and risks from hazards and on psychological and reproductive health as related to OSH. It is recommended that these Caribbean countries both increase national OSH awareness and strengthen enforcement of OSH regulations. Additionally, further assistance and a more coordinated effort from intergovernmental bodies could help build and fortify OSH systems in the Caribbean. Keywords Safety; occupational health; regulations; laws; West Indies. Descuidar la seguridad y la salud de los trabajadores puede tener consecuencias adversas e, incluso, letales. Si bien la seguridad y la salud de los trabajadores son importantes en todos los paises, revisten particular importancia en los paises en desarrollo, especialmente en aquellos ubicados en el Caribe. El proposito de este estudio, que se llevo a cabo en los anos 2012 y 2013, fue examinar las razones de la evidente falta fundamental de conciencia sobre esta cuestion en el Caribe. Realizamos un estudio descriptivo, en el cual administramos un cuestionario telefonico a representantes clave de la formulacion de politicas de seis paises de habla inglesa del Caribe con el fin de evaluar la situacion actual de la seguridad y la salud de los trabajadores en su pais. Tambien hicimos un analisis de la situacion de los reglamentos y la legislacion vigentes en los seis paises. Observamos que las leyes de algunos paises son obsoletas o estan limitadas a un determinado tipo de industria. Tambien observamos que es muy escasa la documentacion sobre las investigaciones realizadas tanto acerca de la exposicion a los ries