New code of practice for construction industry

An updated code of practice for the construction industry and a checklist of health and safety on building sites have been launched by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work on Friday.

The two publications contain information that should help cut the number of accidents and fatalities at the workplace, OHSA chairman Roberta Messina said.

They should also ascertain that the law is adhered to and improve the levels of health and safety in the construction sector, where accidents are most prevalent.

A total of 652 accidents were reported in the construction industry last year - 16.5 per cent of all occupational accidents.

A number of accidents are not reported for a variety of reasons, Ms Messina said, adding that half the occupational fatalities reported last year took place on construction sites.

Although over the last few years the number of construction projects increased - about 6,500 new ones a year - it did not mean the figures relating to accidents were acceptable, she said.

Such accidents were not only prevalent in Malta: In the EU, low standards of health and safety in the construction sector cost more than €75 billion a year.

"Every day in the world, an average of 5,000 persons die at their place of work, and every year about 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million work-related diseases occur."

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has estimated that occupational accidents cost countries an average of four per cent of their Gross Domestic Product. "If we were to apply this rate to Malta, the figure would amount to about Lm76 million a year - a sum that could surely be utilised in a more effective way for the benefit of workers and others," Ms Messina said.

The first part of the code of practice, a consultation document, was launched yesterday. The second part, which highlights specific measures for specific construction situations, such as how to set up scaffolding, is being drafted and should be launched in the next few weeks, the OHSA's chief executive, Mark Gauci, said.

The OHSA is inviting all stakeholders, traders and other interested parties to send in their feedback, after which the idea is to translate the code into Maltese.

The OHSA had issued the first code of practice for the construction industry in 1997. The aim of the updated one is to serve as a practical guide on technical, administrative and legal aspects in the areas of health and safety in construction.

It can be used in court as a guide to determine cases of negligence, as well as to aid stakeholders achieve compliance with their legal obligations to protect workers' health and safety and third persons that can be affected.

The owner of a project (the client), supervisors, employers, directors and managers all have responsibilities to exercise occupational health and safety control measures, Dr Gauci said.

"Through experience, we have seen that although action targeting workers is positive, if it is done in isolation, it is definitely not enough," he said.

The code of practice contains various definitions and obligations pertaining to those involved in the construction project, including architects, designers and workers, plus information about the role of the supervisor both at the design and the construction stage.

The code also contains a series of provisions that are of interest to contractors, sub-contractors and the self-employed.

The checklist points out the main hazards on construction sites. Its aim is to make it easier for those in this sector to check what specific health and safety measures they need to adopt; the measures that have already been taken can easily be ticked off, evidencing those that still need to be carried out.

The publications are being distributed free of charge. For further information, contact the OHSA on 21247 677/8; e-mail ohsa.communications@gov.mt; www.ohsa.org.mt