The Occupational Safety and Health Authority and Agency (OSHA) has brought together Government, the energy sector and trade unions to help shape new safety rules for oil rigs in Trinidad and Tobago.
The stakeholder consultation was held on Monday, September 28, at the Radisson hotel. It forms part of OSHA’s ongoing work on subsidiary legislation for oil rig safety under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chap. 88:08.
OSHA Chairperson Neeala Mongroo said the consultation was an important step towards stronger action, clearer accountability and a renewed national commitment to protecting workers in one of the country’s most important economic sectors.
“Every worker who leaves home for work has a right to return home safely. That is not an aspiration. It is the most basic measure of whether our safety systems are working,” she said.
Mongroo noted the complex, high-risk nature of rig operations, citing hazards such as heavy lifting, work at heights, pressure systems, well control, simultaneous operations, weather conditions, emergency evacuation and access to medical care.
She stressed the importance of learning from incidents and near misses, which she said should be treated as valuable information that can expose weaknesses before they cause serious harm.
“Prevention must be our priority because the best investigation is the one we never have to conduct and the best statistic is the injury that never happens,” she said.
The consultation examined structural integrity, well control, safety-critical equipment, maintenance, emergency response, contractor management and worker competence.
Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Senator Leroy Baptiste, delivered the key address. He said no economic contribution, production target or national revenue can outweigh the value of a human life.
“At its core, workplace safety is about dignity,” he said. He added that offshore operations demand “vigilance, discipline and above all, a culture where the safety is not treated as compliance but as conviction.”
Baptiste said the Government’s Workers’ Agenda places workers at the centre of policy and that the country must move “from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention.” He said this means anticipating risks, learning from near misses and strengthening standards in line with international best practice. Safety, he said, is a collective duty of employers, regulators, unions and workers.
Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Ernesto Kesar, spoke directly to rig management. He described a drilling rig as “a complex multidisciplinary ecosystem involving people, processes and technologies working together under very challenging conditions.”
Kesar said effective rig management improves efficiency, minimises downtime, optimises well delivery, safeguards personnel and maintains compliance with strict health and safety standards.
Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) President General Ancel Roget said workers’ voices and experience must be reflected in the regulations. He called for greater consideration of the practical realities of rig operations, including the value of experienced and competent workers and effective worker representation in high-risk environments.
Roget urged those developing the framework to gain first-hand exposure to rig operations, arguing that policy must be informed by the realities of the workplace. “The regulations are absolutely necessary. Indeed, it is vital,” he said, thanking OSHA for including the OWTU in policy discussions.
OSHA said the consultation reinforced the need for cooperation among regulators, employers, workers, trade unions and technical professionals to develop requirements that are practical, enforceable and capable of preventing injuries and saving lives. The agency thanked attendees for their feedback as work continues on the proposed Oil Rig Safety Regulations.