The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) has ordered staff of the Barbados Meteorological Service to stay away from a Christ Church site it said posed a “serious safety risk” because a server was installed dangerously close to a hydrogen tank.
Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond told Barbados TODAY on Thursday that the NUPW has raised serious occupational safety and health concerns about staff at the Barbados Meteorological Service and has advised employees of their right to refuse to occupy the server room near the Paragon military base.
The concern centres on a server installed at the former electronics office, where Walrond said the equipment sits “within two feet of a hydrogen tank which could potentially cause a fire and explosion”. He stressed that accepted standards require significantly greater separation, noting that “under health and safety standards, you don’t put a server within two feet of a hydrogen tank”, warning that “any potential sparks from the server and that hydrogen… it could explode, it could set off fire and explode”.
In correspondence dated March 10 to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, copied to the Labour Department and the Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services, the union outlined detailed technical risks associated with the installation.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by Barbados TODAY, said: “The server equipment is an ignition source where electrical sparks, overheating, buildup of static electricity or short circuits could ignite the hydrogen; lithium backup batteries add to fire risk if they overheat or catch fire and can trigger hydrogen combustion.”
It further warned that “the space between the server and the hydrogen tank is less than two feet and the eight‑inch wall does not stop a potential blast”, adding that “a small leak could cause an explosion that damages the building and endangers life”.
The union argued that the situation “shows blatant disregard for the Safety and Health at Work Act which mandates having a safe place of work for occupiers and the public”, and described the decision as “reckless and scandalous”, calling for “an immediate halt to the installation of the server”.
The union has yet to receive any formal response despite escalating the matter, Walrond said. “I have not received any feedback to date,” he said, adding that installation works appeared to have continued regardless.
He indicated that the situation has now escalated beyond a routine workplace concern.
“The thing is to arrest the situation because it’s a safety issue,” Walrond said, while signalling a willingness to engage authorities once immediate risks are addressed. “We will be prepared to get around the table and have dialogue.”
Walrond clarified that the issue relates to a secondary facility near the Paragon area and not the main Barbados Meteorological Service office at Charnocks. But he stressed that the directive applies broadly, as any officer could be assigned to the location.
He maintained that operations at the affected server room should remain suspended until the hazard is addressed and discussions are held to ensure compliance with occupational safety standards.
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