The Occupational Health and Safety Authority recently launched a process for the development of an accreditation system for occupational health and safety professionals.
This process is intended to address the need for employers to access competent advice on safety and health problems. Partly financed by the EU, the project forms part of Malta’s Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 ‘Empowering people for more jobs and a better quality of life’ and is planned to be completed by September 2011.
Current occupational health and safety law in Malta places a duty on employers to “ensure the health and safety at all times of all persons who may be affected by the work being carried out”, necessitating a number of duties for employers, including the designation of competent people to advise on OHS matters.
These people should have adequate “…aptitude, capabilities, competence and training” to assist employers in undertaking the measures required to assure the protection of occupational health and safety and the prevention and control of occupational risks.
The authority currently has a system for the registration of competent people, based on academic qualifications, exper-ience and training in the field. Through this ESF project, the system will be extended to cover accreditation of competent people, who will be able to carry out risk assessments, certifications and/or inspections with respect to OHS regulations.
Through the accreditation system, employers will in turn be assured that these practitioners will be competent and can offer advice and service within the framework of current OHS laws.
As the law stands today, the duty to designate one or more individuals competent in OHS matters rests on the employer. What determines competence in the designation of external competent people is left to member states.
In Malta’s case, the OHSA has decided to develop an OHS accreditation system, which will work on the drawing up of mechanisms and criteria to assess and accredit such competent persons.
Led by the authority, the process involves the co-ordinated participation of various occupational health and safety stakeholders, including the Health Division, Malta Qualifications Council, National Accreditation Board, occupational health and safety service providers, the Malta Standards Authority, and registered occupational health and safety practitioners, among other bodies and organisations.
The drawing up of the requirements for the accreditation system is being co-ordinated by the OHSA, helped by Allied Consultants.