The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) Health and Safety Officer has underscored the need to put worker safety above profit making.
"I know for sure organisations are driven to be very profitable but not at the expense of the health and safety of our workers. That's not our mantra here at SLASPA. We are going to ensure that the workers' safety is paramount. It comes first. Everything else is second," Phil Neptune asserted.
Neptune was one of several guests appearing on a recent edition of the Saint Lucia Government programme 'Nation Beat'.
The panelists discussed climate change and work safety.
A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report has observed that the impact of climate change on workers goes well beyond exposure to excessive heat.
It included links to cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney dysfunction, and mental health conditions.
The SLASPA Health and Safety Officer underscored the vital role of worker education regarding the need to use personal protective equipment (PPE).
"We are in a culture where our workers feel like they are superhuman," Neptune declared.
He noted that as a result, some workers do not want to wear protective equipment like boots and harnesses in a culture where they figure nothing would happen to them.
"I think for us as an organisation, we have to move first in this direction to educate our workers help them see why it's important for us to make use of PPE," the SLASPA official stated.
He also spoke of the need to create consciousness of the impact of climate change on worker health and safety.
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