STOW-TT Certifies First Nine as Independent Assessors -
February 3rd 2009 marked another milestone in the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce's award winning Safe TO Work (STOW) project, as 37 health, safety and environmental (HSE) professionals graduated and received certificates of participation for having successfully completed the STOW Independent Assessor training Course, held earlier in January 2009. The certificates were presented to the successful training participants at a Graduation Ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

Nine (9) of the 37 graduates received an additional certificate authorizing them to work as Independent Assessors on behalf of the STOW Implementation Board.
Present at the Graduation Ceremony to hand out certificates were Mr. Harry Sooknanan, Chief Labour Relations Officer, Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises, Ms. Vashtie Dookiesingh, MIF Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank with responsibility for the STOW project, members of the STOW Implementation Board and representatives from Det Norske Veritas, USA, Inc.

The certification of this first group of HSE Professionals as Independent Assessors is a welcomed and progressive step not only for the STOW Initiative but also for the Trinidad & Tobago energy industry. The Independent Assessor is the core of the STOW approach and the industry will depend on this group of advisors/ auditors to advance world-class HSE performance among local contractors.

"Certification of the first batch of Independent Assessors represents an important milestone in this groundbreaking Initiative. This programme will directly assist our members in gaining business in the energy sector in addition to significantly improving safety performance in Trinidad & Tobago. I am proud to be associated with the STOW Initiative" commented Dr. Thackwray, CEO, STCIC about the certification of the Independent Assessors.

Graduates were also generous in their comments about the training and the STOW Initiative:-
".....it was most encouraging to see what I would consider to be a groundbreaking initiative supported with great enthusiasm, and for the right reasons. I have a passion for health and safety and the training provided under the auspices of the STOW-TT Board leads me to firmly believe that the underpinning principles of what you are setting out to achieve, will eventually become a beacon for best practice across many other employment sectors, initially in Trinidad, but no doubt in the longer term, throughout the region. I would also hasten to add that once the STOW Protocol becomes fully operational, its effectiveness is likely to gain more than a passing interest amongst health and safety professionals operating beyond the Caribbean."
Sydney Sears
MSc, FRSH, CMIOSH, MIIRSM
Director of Operations,
PAL Institute of Health, Safety and Environmental Services Ltd.

The Board expects to certify other graduates of the training upon confirmation from their employers that they are available to work with the STOW Initiative.

STOW Independent Assessors with certificates in hand. Seated, from left to right - Whinfield Mitchell, Alfred Phillips, Joanna Hamid, Sucilla Harrikissoon and Sydney Sears. Standing, first from left, Neil Sinanan and first from right. Fedrison Jagessar. Also in picture standing in back row from left to right, Fyzal Dela Rosa, STOW Board Member; Vashtie Dookiesingh, MIF Specialist, IADB; Stevenson Murray, STOW Board Member; Natalie Reece-Sarkar, STOW Project Co-ordinator; and Jerson Wattie, STOW Board Member.

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