EU authorities to follow Malta's own health and safety practices

After the success obtained by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority in an audit of its work and operations by a group of inspectors nominated by the EU, a number of its practices had been identified as "good practices to be followed by other EU authorities".

Moving the motion for Parliament to approve the Occupational Health and Safety Authority's estimates for 2010, Health Minister Joe Cassar described it as an effective and efficient authority.

It had continuously striven to ensure the upholding of good standards on occupational health and safety at the workplace. The authority's efforts has also brought about a change in the perception of people, who, according to the survey carried out by the EU Agency for Safety and Health at Work, regarded themselves as being well-informed.

Dr Cassar said the authority's financial and human resources still needed to be developed, but it was making effective use of its resources and had strengthened the competences and skills of its employees.

Malta had a legislative framework on occupational health and safety on the same level as that of other EU countries. Notwithstanding, each year regulations were being drafted to address specific sectors.

The minister praised the authority for implementing awareness-raising campaigns and training in the field and noted that it had addressed 1,300 children between the ages of nine and 11. Training was also provided to university students.

Last year the EU Commission had invited the authority to form part of a technical group of experts drafting a directive on musculo-skeletal diseases at the workplace which would be proposed by the Commission. During the last year the authority had also focussed on updating its data, and compiled an extensive database of all boilers installed at workplaces, while seeking to update statistics on industrial diseases.

Dr Cassar noted that the authority had implemented a new complaints management policy ensuring that complaints brought to its attention were efficiently addressed. The authority had prosecuted 191 cases, of which 53 remained pending and two of which had been determined by the courts with the imposition of a prison term.

An average of €75,000 in fines had been collected during last year.

Dr Cassar indicated that the statistical trend for injury at work continued to be on the decrease, but the eight deaths in the year under review were a reminder that all sectors were susceptible to risk.

Stephen Spiteri (PN) said great changes had occurred in the employment sector, with advances in technology making it easier for employees to carry out their tasks.

There had been several cases, such as working with asbestos, whose inherent dangers had not been known about in the past. Workers all over the world were increasingly being faced with new methods and conditions of work.

There had also been increases in the black economy. Averted risks had been replaced by others brought about by supposedly advanced technology, while other methods had remained largely traditional.

Unfortunately too any accidents, some fatal, still occurred because of misguided confidence or lack of respect for enhanced regulations by both workers and employers, even though some felt the authority was being too stringent with regulations. In fact, there were cases in which it was not being stringent enough.

The number of people arraigned before the courts should be kept in the proper perspective by trade unions, rather than being seen as a witch-hunt. The authority had to be vigilant in the observance of health and safety rules.

Dr Spiteri said that as a doctor he could better see the relationships between safety rules and illnesses in various sectors, including the somatic and psychological. Work-related stress had been identified as present in at least one in four workers, leading to both suffering for workers and their families and financial burdens on the country.

The working world was changing fast. There was an imbalance in the private and professional working life.

Peter Micallef (PN) said that one of the authority's most important tasks was to instil cognisance of the benefits inherent in greater awareness of safety at work. The message should continue to be driven home in no uncertain manner, using all possible media and campaigns.

Up to a short time ago there had hardly been anyone speaking about health and safety at work, but even where this was done it could lead to the wrong expectations. Unfortunately there were areas in which the authority could not act on its own.

The greatest responsibility for health and safety at work lay on employers, so it did not make sense that the authority was almost invariably blamed for accidents, fatal or otherwise.

In its early stages the authority had been mostly reactive, but this had now given place to proactivity. The authority could not be alone in this mission. It needed to be supported all the way by several quarters, not least the media which could be crucial in this aspect.

Concluding, Mr Micallef said it would be a disservice to the working class to give wrong or misleading information. There were up to 8,000 workers who were still receiving treatment or benefits for injuries at work.

Winding up the debate, Dr Cassar said that the EU project would look at the physical and psychological aspects and protect workers. The project would also include an interactive risk assessment. However, even the EU agency was finding difficulties and the authority had helped in development.

The authority had recruited the industrial and occupational psychologist to focus on the best methods to use workers' own skills to educate them. It was better to educate than to enforce legislation, Dr Cassar said.

On inspections, he said that none of the inspectors were glorified clerks. They prioritised all reports and evaluated all complaints, but then made objective judgment.

The chairman had attended all board meetings.

On the ESF project Dr Cassar said that four bids had been received in the call for tenders issued by the Contracts Department. No appeals had been lodged against the adjudication of the project, which was subject to several layers of scrutiny because it was an EU project.

The consortium even had graduates in health and safety.

Turning to the asbestos issue, Dr Cassar said asbestos per se was not dangerous. It was the asbestos fibres that gave rise for concern. There were no asbestos fibres at Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, but even so the authorities had decided to seal the tunnel to put the workers' and the public's minds at rest.

Concluding, Dr Cassar noted that Malta did not have anything to worry about in the sphere of health and safety because it was in a better position than countries like the UK, Spain, France and Italy.