The Minister of Labour, Public Service and National Insurance the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle said in recent years, the country has had a “fair share of workplace incidents.”
“I truly believe that even one on-the-job injury or death is one too many. And each of these incidents is a reminder of what is at stake,” the Labour Minister said during the Ministry’s Validation Workshop on the National Regulation for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) held at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Social partners, industry professionals, colleagues from the public and private sectors, and members of civil society attended the workshop to review, amend, update, and validate the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations first approved in 2013 — regulations that social partners agreed to but never brought into force.
The Minister noted that the stakeholders were to examine new regulation developed specifically for the country’s construction industry.
“These are practical instruments that will govern how Bahamians are protected at work. However, they will be only as strong as the tripartite process behind them, and that is why the work we do today is so important.”
She said, “Every worker deserves to return home safely at the end of the workday.
“Every employer deserves clear guidance and support to maintain a safe workplace.
“And every government administration is responsible for working with our tripartite partners to build the systems, standards, and enforcement measures that preserve the safety and health of Bahamian workers.”
The Labour Minister explained that upholding that responsibility requires the creation of new rules for the realities of the 21st century.
She said that includes accounting for thermal stress and its detrimental effect on workers as the climate grows warmer.
The Minister added that it means recognizing that mental health deserves greater consideration in the nation’s occupational safety and health standards, which is why the government’s move to legislate the first national standard for mental health leave is such an important step.
She said, “Strong regulations require strong enforcement. So, we are strengthening the Occupational Safety and Health Unit within the Department of Labour with plans to expand inspection and public education.”
The Labour Minister said, “Our inspectors cannot be everywhere at once, so we need the public to serve as our eyes on the ground, reporting violations when they see them.
“That requires widespread public awareness and trust that we must continue to build each day, not just through public communication and legislative amendments, but through the action we take to demonstrate our dedication to enforcement.”
She said the government is also preparing to introduce new technologies, including drone-assisted inspection, to monitor remote sites across the country through its partnership with the Organization of American States.
The Minister said that capability will improve the government’s reach to the islands and cays that are often difficult to access.
She noted that alongside this work, the government’s broader labour reforms will bring forward a slate of related legislative changes.
The Minister said, “Today’s session lays the foundation for many of these changes and sets the stage for the seminar we will host in November as we move toward finalizing the new OSH framework, as well as the amendments to the Health and Safety at Work Act.”
The post The Labour Ministry Holds Workshop to Review Occupational Safety and Health Regulations appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.
