Occupational Health and Safety

Requesting countryProviding country
Trinidad and TobagoUnited States
Topics: 
LABOR
Working conditions
Occupational safety and health
Activity: 
Experts
Date: 
03/14/2011 to 03/18/2011
Description: 

Two officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States traveled to Trinidad and Tobago to provide hands-on training and guidance to the latter country’s Occupational Safety and Health Agency (TTOSHA) which covered the inspection and regulatory methods employed by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) for radiation protection. TTOSHA officers received training about radiation and methods of minimizing exposure to it, an introduction to USDOL’s manual of inspection guidance, training in the use of radiation exposure measuring devices, assistance in identifying standards for the radiation shielding design of equipment, assistance in making arrangement for the retrieval and disposal of radiation sources, assistance in using and maintaining hospital equipment using radiation, identification of means to improve recordkeeping in the medical sector to minimize repeat radiographs, and assistance in regulating transport, including making provisions for accidents.
 
The activity resulted in the clear recognition that Trinidad and Tobago would benefit from obtaining International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) membership in order to receive technical support and training, that there should be stronger coordination between TTOSHA and other health and safety inspectorates in Trinidad and Tobago, that the draft Ionizing Radiation Regulations should be enacted as soon as possible, that an adequate quantity of radiation measuring equipment should be acquired, that health and safety inspectors should be further trained and that TTOSHA should sufficiently consider radiation hazards when developing risk rating and enforcement prioritization approaches.

Status: 
Realized
Announcement number: 
4