Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – The Labor Inspectorate of the Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (IVSA) is reminding all employers, contractors and persons responsible for workplaces that occupational accidents and injuries must be reported to the competent authorities in accordance with the Safety Ordinance.
The reminder is part of the Labor Inspectorate’s ongoing efforts to strengthen occupational safety and health compliance and ensure that serious workplace accidents are properly reported, investigated and documented.
Under Article 2, paragraph 7 of the Safety Ordinance, the head or director of an enterprise has an obligation to report occupational injuries to the Safety Inspection and other designated authorities. Employers must immediately notify the authorities of reportable workplace accidents, including:
- accidents resulting in death;
- accidents requiring the victim to be admitted to a medical or nursing institution;
- accidents resulting in, or capable of resulting in, permanent total or partial disability;
- accidents which can lead to personal injury; and
- accidents resulting in injuries that lead to absence from work.
Employers are also reminded that the scene of a serious workplace accident should, as far as reasonably possible and provided that doing so does not create further danger, be preserved to facilitate an investigation by the competent authorities.
Timely notification is essential. It enables the Labor Inspectorate to establish the circumstances surrounding an accident, identify workplace hazards and determine whether appropriate occupational safety and health measures were in place. Accident investigations also provide important information that can help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The Labor Inspectorate further reminds employers that reporting a workplace accident to another institution, including for insurance or benefit purposes, does not remove the obligation to notify the Labor Inspectorate where notification is required under the applicable safety legislation.
Employers should therefore ensure that their internal accident and emergency procedures clearly identify who is responsible for notifying the Labor Inspectorate following a reportable workplace accident.
| What Employers Must Do After a Serious Workplace Accident
1.Provide emergency assistance. Ensure the injured person receives first aid and medical care without delay, call emergency services, and make the area safe to prevent further harm. 2.Notify the authorities. Report the accident to the Labor Inspectorate immediately (Safety Ordinance, art. 2(7)). Reporting to an insurer or any other institution does not replace this notification. 3.Preserve the scene as is and as safe as possible. Keep the accident site, equipment and materials as undisturbed as possible, unless doing so would create danger (art. 2(9)). If changes are unavoidable, record them with photographs and notes. 4.Cooperate with the investigation. Give inspectors access and the assistance they reasonably require, including documents, video recording, witness details and, where requested, relevant objects or substances (art. 2(10)). |
“Workplace accident reporting is not merely an administrative requirement. It is an important part of protecting workers and preventing future accidents. When serious incidents/accidents are not reported, the Inspectorate loses an important opportunity to identify hazards, establish causes and ensure that appropriate corrective measures are taken,” said Joe Alcala, Inspector General of VSA.
The Labor Inspectorate encourages employers to review their occupational safety and health procedures periodically, ensure that supervisors and managers understand their reporting responsibilities, and maintain appropriate records of workplace accidents and injuries.
Workers are also encouraged to report serious workplace safety concerns to the Labor Inspectorate if they believe unsafe conditions or workplace accidents are not being appropriately addressed.
The Labor Inspectorate remains committed to promoting safe and healthy workplaces through prevention, education, inspection and enforcement, and calls on employers and workers alike to make workplace safety a shared responsibility.
For further information or to report a workplace accident:
Labor Inspectorate – IVSA
Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor
W.G. Buncamper Road #33
Vineyard Office Park
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Phone: +1 (721) 5247247
VSAInspection@sintmaartengov.org
