Editorial

Just when is a glass half full and when is it half empty? During the debate in Parliament on a Bill aimed at reducing benefit fraud, an opposition MP remarked that some self-employed had no option but to close shop and seek benefits because of poor demand, hounding by the taxman and safety inspections. That health and safety officials are making their rounds should be a source of satisfaction, more so in Malta where occupational safety is given such low priority by all and sundry including, it must be said, the so-called workers' representatives themselves.

And it should be a cause of disappointment that an MP should list safety rules among the reasons leading to a business's collapse.

There is no denying that safety precautions cost money and can be a burden on businesses, even if one may, rightly, ask: What price tag should one give to life and good health? Yet, such burden would not be that heavy if regulations are applied uniformly, with no one deriving unfair competitive advantage by flouting safety. And in a society which says it prides itself with its values, can safety come second to profit?

European Union membership has served as a catalyst for Malta to update its occupational health and safety structures. Laws have been modernised to EU standards and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) was set up to replace a small government unit.

Up to just a few years ago, even the fact that Melita Cable workers carried coloured ladders and wore hard hats and safety jackets made news. There is now more awareness of all sort of danger, such as emissions from computer screens and the hazards of excessive noise. But much, much more remains to be done.

Changing an ingrained view that "it will not happen to me" takes time, but it also takes effort and a lot of goodwill. Which is why recent comments by an Austrian expert that the OHSA lacks resources disappoint.

Of course, the comments have been heard before. Anybody with time on his hands to look up parliamentary debates on the OHSA for the past few years will come up against the usual, justified, complaints that the authority lacks resources and, consequently, effectiveness.

Solutions do not come by quickly. Modern occupational health and safety takes in several specialties. The authority needs inspectors trained for different hazards, such as chemicals, noise, radiation, posture... the list is long. Progress has been made in the launching of a university course for health and safety inspectors. But does the OHSA have the money to employ them then?

It is not just a question of using the stick, short and flimsy though it is. The carrot would probably yield better results in the long term. Hence the need for professionally thought out and ongoing campaigns to highlight the dangers inherent in different work practices or activities.

The OHSA has been doing what it can with its limited resources. Focus has been placed especially on the construction industry where even the most basic precautions are often, sadly, ignored. OHSA staff have been lecturing workers on construction sites as well as industrial estates.

Emphasis is also being placed on employers' responsibilities to ensure that their workers take the precautions expected of them, including wearing protective gear once it is provided. Indeed, while lack of precautions may lead to physical and financial hardship for a worker and his family, it could also lead to a business's ruin.

For many employers and workers, however, the message is not getting through. The fast buck remains king.