Feb. 6, 2006 – A mandatory three-day conference designed to teach top government officials how to bring V.I. facilities up to federal health and safety standards begins Tuesday at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef Hotel on St. Thomas.
"It is my understanding that the V.I. Government is currently in serious violation of Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) standards," Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone said Monday evening. "So Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and representatives from the University of the Virgin Islands' Cell Center are holding this conference to discuss how to bring our departments into compliance with these standards."
In a press release sent from his office, Malone stated it is "safe to assume" that the state of many of the territory's public schools has put the Education Department "high on the list" of possible health and safety violators.
Since the conference runs through Feb. 9, Malone said he had to postpone an emergency meeting of the Committee on Education, Culture and Youth – of which he is the chair – scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix. Malone said the committee meeting has been postponed until Feb. 23.
When contacted Monday evening, St. Thomas administrator James O'Bryan could not say what time the conference begins or ends during the next three days. He also did not know whether the conference was open to the press or public.