AMCHAM T&T Launches Mentorship Programme To Enhance HSE Awareness

MEDIA RELEASE
19/10/2022

The American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM T&T) has launched a Mentorship Programme as part of its Annual National Excellence in HSE Awards. This Mentorship Programme is designed to assist companies seeking to enhance their health and safety policies and processes.

The awards are distributed at AMCHAM T&T’s annual Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Conference and Exhibition to recognise companies in Trinidad and Tobago that have shown a commitment to HSE excellence and leadership within their operations. This Mentorship Programme will serve as an extension to the National Excellence in HSE Awards for companies that were unsuccessful but demonstrated commitment to improvement, following the judge’s assessment in selecting the winners.

“For 26 years, AMCHAM T&T has been a pioneer in promoting leadership on Health and Safety matters in the workplace. We are very proud of this record. We are continuously looking for ways to do more to improve the safety culture. It is really gratifying for us that, with the support of members, we are able to expand the National HSE Awards through this Mentorship Programme,” said Nirad Tewarie, CEO of AMCHAM T&T.

“The transfer of expert knowledge from our HSE professionals who will now act as mentors will further the mandate to improve health and safety systems, and culture across businesses. Additionally, increasing the number of companies enhancing their safety cultures will contribute to ensuring that we remain an attractive destination for foreign investors to conduct business. Overall, this is a win for everyone involved.”

Meanwhile, Gerard Rajkumar who is the National HSE Awards Chair said the inclusion of the HSE mentorship component is a landmark moment for the Awards which have been officially endorsed by the Ministry of Labour since 2011. “This ensures that a company leaves the awards process stronger than they entered so that no one is a loser. This will distinguish these awards from any other and can be considered another small but meaningful step in improving HSE awareness and performance in the country. One accident prevented, one life saved, is more than enough reward for us to continue to promote and grow these awards at a national, and even regional level."

Mentors for the programme will be drawn from companies that have won the National HSE Awards in any category at least three (3) times. Currently, Daryle Sankar, Regional Safety, Health, Environment & General Services Manager at Nestlé, and Gail Figaro, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Phi-Onyx Services Ltd have been selected as Mentors for the programme in 2022. Also, Total Convenience Management Limited and HHSL Safety Systems Limited are two of the first companies to have registered as mentees in the programme.

All mentors must sign an AMCHAM T&T Code of Ethics and Mentor’s Agreement document to be approved for the programme. Mentors will benefit from the programme by sharing their knowledge, developing long-lasting business relationships, and gaining different perspectives from their peers. Meanwhile, mentees will significantly benefit from this programme through their increased interaction and exposure to a panel of professionals who will help them obtain both an external and different perspective on various problems or situations. The programme will also provide mentees with increased resources through various methods and strategies to enhance their health and safety policies and processes.

This programme is not intended to be a consultancy or actual actioning of recommendations by the Mentor. Instead, the mentorship will act as guidance to assist companies to improve their health and safety measures. Even if all recommendations are implemented, it does not guarantee the elimination of risk. Therefore, it is incumbent on companies to ensure that they have adequately assessed and reduced risks regardless of the advice and guidance of mentors.

The AMCHAM T&T Mentorship Programme will be offered to companies for two (2) years and is expected to be impartial, unbiased, and confidential between the Mentor and Mentee. Only companies that have participated and were unsuccessful at the National HSE Awards would be eligible for the mentorship programme.

For further questions or comments please contact: Nirad Tewarie, CEO of AMCHAM T&T at niradtewarie@amchamtt.com.

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