Occupational health authority concerned at accidents statistics

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority has voiced concern over the latest statistics relating to occupational accidents and reminded employers in the private and public sectors about their legal obligation to report all accidents at their places of work.

It said that although the message emanating from the National Statistics Office was that there had been a drop in the number of occupational accidents, the figures only represented the number of claims actually made to the Department of Social Security.

However, the authority said many other accidents were not reported.

The NSO had issued the results of a survey of occupational accidents reported to the Department of Social Security in the period between January and June for the purpose of obtaining injury benefit.

According to the NSO, in the first quarter of this year, 944 men (88.6 per cent) and 122 women (11.4 per cent) were the victims of occupational accidents.

The number of accidents during that quarter decreased by 15 per cent when compared with those reported in the first quarter of 2001.

During the second quarter of this year, 1,179 men (91.8 per cent) and 106 women (8.2 per cent) suffered occupational accidents - as in same quarter last year.

The authority said that all employers had an obligation under Article 51 of the Factories (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, 1986, to inform the OHSA about any accident at their workplaces that resulted in an injury or death.

The authority also drew the attention of the medical profession to their duty under the Medical and Kindred Professions Act and the Social Security Act to inform the employer about any occupational diseases suffered by their employees. It said that this does not in any way conflict with professional secrecy.

The authority said it was in the process of drafting legislation to update Schedule 4 listing 42 occupational diseases and to incorporate the European Schedule that was also in the process of being amended.

The authority said that a number of new regulations and legislation pertaining to occupational health and safety had come into force this year.

Copies of the legislation and regulations and further information are available from the authority on tel. 21 247677/8 or e-mail ohsa@gov.mt