In seeking to maintain watercourses and pedestrian walkways (pavements) in our communities the local government authorities also create health and safety hazards for residents. As these health and safety issues don’t occur within a workplace there is no OSH Act protection, so what protection/recourse does the public have against publicly-existing or publicly-created hazards?
I live at Madras Settlement Road, St Helena and whenever the Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation (TPRC) dispatches workers to clean the drains on the western side of the roadway, it creates a very disgusting situation for residents. The drain’s slush is placed on the roadway where it remains for a few days before being picked up. During this time, the slush is scattered by passing vehicles, pushed back into the drains and splashed onto the walls of adjacent properties.
In this rainy season, I don’t think I need to describe that situation anymore for it to be clear that the whole thing becomes messy and unhygienic. I have seen the Chaguanas Borough Corporation use a low cart being pulled by a pick-up truck, to immediately cart away the drain slush as it is being removed from the drain. Why can’t such a system be implemented by the TPRC?
Also, there is the issue of pavement manhole covers that often break. After months of an open manhole, the replacement covers (wooden or concrete) often project above the level of the walkway. Has anyone ever hit his toes or trip and fall on one of these? What about the pain that comes after, the doctor’s bill or pharmacy bill?
This is not an isolated case because improperly fitted manhole covers are in every community and can cause serious damage because it is very rare that the replacement manhole covers are the same height as the walkway. Do the local authorities consider use of these pavements by elderly people whose eyesight may be fading? Do the local authorities consider disabled citizens who cannot easily avoid the impediment? Or children?
Do the local authorities conduct quality control checks on contractors’ work and insist that sub-standard work is redone? Are there specific guidelines/standards for contractors/TPRC staff when building these pavements and manhole covers that they are required to adhere to? The time to address these issues has long passed, so the question that arises is what will be done about it by the local government bodies going forward?
Concerned resident
St Helena