Danger money promotes risk-taking - minister

Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday made a case against workers being paid danger money, saying such incentives only spurred them to take risks rather than find ways of avoiding them.

"Hazards should not come with an allowance but should be eliminated," he told a conference organised by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority with the theme "Dangerous Substances - Handle with Care!"

The minister said the recent spate of accidents at work places had prompted many to think seriously about ways of reducing them. Such incidents were still taking place because some thought the health and safety inspectors were too much of a nuisance or being too finicky, Dr Gonzi argued.

Others believed that safety precautions were too costly or else were nothing more than an exercise that reduced competitiveness.

Sadly, the minister said, a number of contractors still believed they could win contracts by economising on safety measures, which meant they could offer cheaper prices. Such criticism, he said, was applicable to "a good number of entrepreneurs and their workers".

It applied especially to those thousands that worked independently on minor contracts, especially in the construction industry.

Dr Gonzi admitted that regulations and enforcement were not the ultimate solution to reduce accidents at work.

Although he had given instructions to the authority to penalise those not abiding by the regulations, Dr Gonzi said that the setting up of the health and safety authority was not enough to stop the spate of accidents and it was only through everybody's cooperation that these could decrease.

The minister appealed to trade unions to stress the need to educate workers on the importance of taking safety measures.

It was, after all, only a matter of time before insurance agencies refrained from insuring companies with a bad track record of accidents and sickness.