Barbados’ Labour Department has launched a renewed call for employers nationwide to set up new or bolster existing workplace Safety and Health Committees, highlighting the central role these bodies play in cultivating safer working conditions for the country’s labor force.
Trevor Blackman, a senior Safety and Health Officer with the department, emphasized that establishing these collaborative committees is far more than a recommended industry best practice—it is a legal obligation enshrined in the island’s occupational safety and health legislation. Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, Blackman noted the committees fill a critical gap by giving frontline workers a formal, structured channel to voice their safety concerns and observations directly to organizational leadership.
When operating as intended, Blackman explained, these committees create a proactive internal system for flagging and mitigating workplace hazards before minor risks escalate into serious accidents, illnesses, or regulatory violations. Under this framework, workers can submit concerns directly to their committee’s representatives, who then conduct thorough on-site investigations, draft targeted corrective recommendations, and present these plans to company management. The department expects employers to prioritize implementing these evidence-based recommendations to resolve documented issues fully.
This tiered collaborative process, Blackman argued, leads to systematic improvements in working conditions, consistent risk reduction across all business operations, and ultimately a far safer workplace for every employee. He added that a large share of the safety violations identified during routine department inspections could have been caught and resolved internally before regulators ever arrived on-site if organizations had active, well-functioning safety committees in place.
Beyond hazard mitigation, Blackman stressed that these committees strengthen collaborative relationships between employers and their workforces, helping to build a widespread culture of shared accountability for workplace safety. Contrary to the common misconception that workplace safety falls solely on management, Blackman noted that frontline workers hold an equally critical stake in maintaining safe conditions—and the committees provide the formal platform needed to formalize this shared responsibility.
The Labour Department is specifically urging larger employers and organizations operating in high-risk industries to move quickly to confirm their committees meet legal requirements and are fully functional, as part of employers’ core duty of care to protect employee wellbeing. Blackman confirmed that the department remains committed to providing ongoing technical guidance, resources, and support to any Barbadian organization working to strengthen its occupational safety and health management systems.
