Minister addressing the Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards at ILC 2024

The Honourable Stephen McClashie, Minister of Labour addressed the Morning Session of the Plenary Debates by the Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards on Friday June 14, 2024.
His Full Statement to the Session can be read below.
Thank you Chair for your diligent stewardship of this Conference.
This first standard setting discussion on the issue of biological hazards has been an engaging and timely one especially on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two weeks, the Committee held in-depth discussions on the issue of biological hazards, the importance of ensuring protection from the threats that may arise from biological hazards in the working environment in the future and possible approaches for achieving this.
Chair, let me take this opportunity to highlight, at the national level, the commitment of Trinidad and Tobago to ensuring the protection against biological hazards. This country, through its Occupational Safety and Health Agency and Authority, has a steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment in Trinidad and Tobago. Established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, this advisory body encourages the compliance of the OSH Act in the workplace, develops codes of practice and engages in research activities that will continue to promote a safe and healthy environment. Currently, work is underway to amend this legislation to ensure a robust national framework to promote workplace safety and health. This should positively impact my country’s ability to comply with the new instrument. We look forward to continued tripartite discussions on this matter next year and to this body adopting a new instrument on biological hazards.
In closing, I want to commend the ILO on the work undertaken in addressing critical issues such as these and your continued support to countries such as Trinidad and Tobago.
I thank you.