Editorial

The recent inauguration of the brand new premises to house the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) served as another occasion to draw public attention to the sad reality of the dangers associated with the work environment.

The OHSA provides statistics that not surprisingly show that workers in the manufacturing and construction industry are those mostly at risk. The figures deserve closer analysis and evaluation. In doing so, one has to take into account the percentage of people working in specific occupations. On a national level, certain occupations may involve smaller numbers yet the risk of doing such jobs is disproportionately higher.

Employees remain more at risk. This is borne out by the fact that the published statistics show that a reduction of cases of injury among the self-employed seems to be more encouraging.

It is also of interest that, at first glance, women might appear much less prone to injury. However, when one considers that they constitute a much smaller proportion of the work force, their vulnerability is much higher than it appears to be. This may be due to the fact that a large number of women in employment work in the manufacturing industry.

It is particularly distressing that Mark Gauci, the authority's CEO, points out that young workers, especially first-time workers, are at a higher risk than any other sector of workers.

Also, the lesser educated members of the workforce, especially those who are not unionised or are employed on the fringes of legality, deserve closer scrutiny. They are often shabbily treated and exploited and, for obvious reasons, cases of injury, barring fatalities, are less likely to be reported.

The OHSA faces a daunting task as the Maltese workforce is notorious for its lack of awareness and its indifference to regulation and discipline. Ignorance and lack of professional standards are widespread and this makes the health and safety inspectors' job more difficult. This situation is also compounded by the unscrupulousness of certain employers who put quick profits before anything else.

The construction industry is one of the main offenders in this respect. This is not helped by the lacuna that emerged after the Malta Environment and Planning Authority let it be known that safety is not its concern! The findings of the Falzon Report into the Xemxija mudslide should have helped somewhat but, alas, that report must have already been shelved and forgotten. Even as an employer, the government leaves much to be desired. Not so long ago, the shockingly dangerous working conditions of workers in the drainage department came to light. And yet... Where are the trade unions?

It is tragic when one considers that so many injuries and fatalities at the work place are largely avoidable. Such pain and misery is beyond calculation but it also bears an economic cost. OHSA chairman Roberta Messina said that, going by ILO estimates, incidents in the workplace would cost Malta Lm76 million a year.

The setting up of the OHSA has been a very positive and welcome development. Since its inception five years ago, the authority reports that fatalities have dropped by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent. These are indeed very encouraging figures. However, we should not sit on our laurels. As yet, the OHSA has only 10 people to carry out this Herculean task.

They need and indeed deserve widespread support, in more senses than one. However, at the end of the day and as with everything else, only discipline and law enforcement will make the radical difference to safety at work.