Draft Occupational Safety and Health Legislation Finalised

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) have finalised a settled draft of the Occupational Safety and Health legislation.

This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., who further advised that consultations with the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies are nearing completion.

Throughout 2025, the Ministry, in close collaboration with the OPC, continued to prioritise the advancement of the legislation.

This legislation is designed to establish a modern, comprehensive framework for occupational safety and health, while strengthening protection for Jamaican workers across all sectors.

“Our aim is to present this Bill to the Legislative Committee, table it before this Honourable House and to do so as quickly as possible,” Mr. Charles stated.

He was making his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 19).

Minister Charles also reported that, in 2025, the Occupational Safety and Health Department carried out 1,855 safety-compliance inspections.

These included 1,208 inspections of factories, 548 construction projects, 12 docks and 87 cargo vessels.

Mr. Charles further indicated that 80 industrial accidents were investigated during the same period.

“These inspections and investigations are not just regulatory exercises, they are life-saving interventions. Over the past six years, Jamaica has seen a clear and encouraging decline in fatal industrial accidents,” he stated.

“In 2024, Jamaica recorded no fatal industrial accidents… . In 2025, we had two. Even one death is too many, but the trend demonstrates that when employers, workers and regulators treat safety as a shared responsibility, lives can be saved,” the Minister added.

Mr. Charles emphasised that as national reconstruction accelerates, safety cannot be treated as an afterthought, stressing that it “must be built into the way we work, the way we rebuild, and the way we protect the people helping to restore Jamaica”.

“That is why the Occupational Safety and Health Department will develop a comprehensive OSH Risk Management Toolkit aimed at strengthening workplace safety practices across Jamaica. This toolkit will provide employers, workers, safety professionals and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with practical resources to identify high-risk workplace hazards, strengthen safer work practices and reduce serious injuries and fatalities,” he stated.

The toolkit will include guidance relating to working at heights, electrical hazards, high-risk worksite conditions, safer operational practices, and effective accident investigations.