Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste says his Ministry fully supports OSHA which is investigating the death of 20-year-old Deshawn Joseph.
A sanitation worker, Mr Joseph was crushed by a garbage truck while on the job on May 26th in Kelly Village, Caroni.
His family believes his death was the result of carelessness.
In a statement, Minister Baptiste says it is important that OSHA be afforded the opportunity to proceed in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.
“Senator Baptiste wishes to assure the family of the deceased and the wider public that OSHA will continue to exercise its powers and perform its functions under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in relation to this matter. The Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development fully supports OSHA in the execution of its legislative mandate,” reads the statement.
The Minister adds that the incident serves as a reminder to all employers, contractors and workplace managers that the safety, health and welfare of workers must always be treated as a paramount responsibility.
“Workplace fatalities have far-reaching consequences for families, co-workers and communities. We must all remain steadfast in our collective commitment to ensuring that every worker returns home safely at the end of the workday,” he says.
