“Occupational disease is a disease that affects employees in their workplace or
in the pursuit of their work. Some places of work become a death trap and you go
there healthy but you leave there sick. This Corona virus can be classified as an
occupational disease,” said President of the Public Services Association (PSA)
Watson Duke in a previous Facebook live.

Duke stated that as described in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA)
the Corona virus was in fact an occupational disease. He said, according to the
Act, which is the law of the land; occupational diseases may be, caused by
biological agents and were categorized as infectious or parasitic diseases that
could be spread through contamination at the work place.

He advised that if any person contracted the Covid-19 virus at the workplace, it
was their right to report it to their employer via writing, as what they contracted
was indeed an occupational disease. Duke indicated that within four days, it was
then the duty of the employer to write the Chief Inspector of the OSHA, informing
of the contamination. With immediate effect, the Chief Inspector, accompanied by
medical personnel must visit the site and assess the suspected area.

Duke stated to his PSA’s membership that the PSA was there to help them take
action and to pay for the action should it be necessary.

Reporter: Melissa S. Goodman