Workers say health and safety has improved
The majority of Maltese workers interviewed in a pan-European survey acknowledged that in the past five years Malta had made strides in instilling a better health and safety environment at the workplace.
Seventy-two per cent of the workers interviewed, 1,000, agreed that health and safety measures had improved, with 13 per cent describing the situation as “much better”, according to the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, published yesterday in Brussels.
Malta’s results are much better than the average in the EU-27 where 59 per cent agreed they had witnessed better health and safety conditions.
Mark Gauci, Occupational Health and Safety Authority CEO, expressed his satisfaction at these results which he felt recognised the authority’s hard work.
“Our work has started to show,” he said when contacted.
“The survey clearly shows there is more awareness about the benefits of having high levels of OHS and more information available than there was five years ago, a time which roughly coincides with the authority’s establishment.”
Dr Gauci said the survey’s conclusions demonstrated that, contrary to what several public statements seemed to imply, the vast majority of people in Malta believed the levels of occupational health and safety had improved substantially over the past five years.
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DVella
Oct 7th 2009, 16:52
And just WHO were these workers that were interviewed???
Either the people conducting this survey went to the wrong country or else they've got their base data seriously muddled up . . . . if the current practices in the construction industry are any example then the only conceivable recent improvement of health and safety in general on a nationwide scale was the closure of the former Malta Drydocks!!!
John Fenech
Oct 7th 2009, 13:31
According to the information from the graph presented in the Pan-European opinion poll on occupational safety and health – 24/03 to 12/05 of 2009:
59 % of the Maltese said that safe & health conditions at the place of work were better and 13 % said were much better over the past 5 years- not 72 & 13 % as stated in this article.
Other answers to the questions in this survey might give another perspective to things in general.
Question: In general, to what extent do you think that ill health is caused by the job people have?
Answer: Great deal 16% - To some extent 45% - Not really 24% - Others 15%.
Question: Regarding safety and health risks at the workplace, do you consider yourself?
Answer: Very well informed 14% - Fairly well informed 45% - Not well informed 27% - others 14%
While 52 % opted for safe and healthy conditions at the place of work in preference to Job security or Salary.
I wish more power to the workers and success to OHSA and all other Agencies that endeavour to protect the worker’s health at and off the place of work.