OSHA: La Romaine school clear to open

EVEN as TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) filed an appeal against the decision made by the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) to approve the re-opening of the La Romaine Secondary school, the authority continues to stand firm by its decision.

The school, which remains closed, was deemed unsafe by OSHA after several electrical fires there earlier this year.

Teachers walked off the job in May, citing health and safety reasons, causing the premature closure of the school before the July/August vacation. No end-of-term exams were held.

Several recommendations were made, with the electrical inspectorate threatening to disconnect the school’s supply if corrective measures were not undertaken.

However in a press release on Friday, OSHA said a safety and health inspector visited the school on October 5 and conducted an assessment which found “no exposed electrical wires or any type of electrical repairs or electrical works being conducted to pose any serious and imminent danger to students or employees on the school compound.”

OSHA said they wished to clarify statements regarding their role in the “refusal to work action taken by teachers of the La Romaine Secondary School.”

“Two prohibition notices were issued by the OSHA Agency pertaining to the affected areas. However, the serious and imminent danger was subsequently removed on August 6, 2018 and the two notices were therefore lifted in relation to these areas.”

The release added that on September 27, a Safety and Health Inspector revisited and found that all the electrical defects were addressed and “an Inspection Certificate of Approval by the Chief Electrical Inspector was granted on September 21.”

However, yesterday, TTUTA president, Lynsley Doodhai said teachers had filed an appeal of the decision of the OSHA Inspector to the Chief Inspector of the OSHA Agency. He said the claims made by OSHA after an October 5, visit that the school was safe and fit and were false. “On that day there were loose wires exposed and panel boxes open. Photographs were also taken.” In a previous interview, a spokesman from the Ministry of Education told Newsday more than $2 million had been spent on remedial work at the school, sufficient to get OSHA clearance.