This year we have read several news stories about fatalities on construction sites. Each time we inevitably have mixed feelings about the subject. We feel sorry for the victim, his relatives and friends, and many feel a sense of anger that yet another tragedy has occurred. We sometimes feel frustrated at the slow rate of progress with health and safety.
The government should invest in a campaign aimed at raising standards of health and safety throughout the industry- Stefan Salomone
Many think it is unacceptable that in 2012, 12 years after the introduction of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority Act, we still see workers risking their lives on a daily basis. We seem to be stuck in a vicious circle, waiting for another accident to happen and to feel sorry all over again for a few more days.
The Institute of Health and Safety recently organised a conference to explore the reasons why fatalities occur at construction sites and to discuss possible solutions to the problem. Speakers from various sectors of the local construction industry were invited to share their experiences and opinions.
Sandro Chetcuti from the Malta Developers Association spoke on behalf of developers; Denise Xuereb and Angelo Xuereb from AX Construction Ltd gave the contractors’ viewpoint, while David Xuereb of David Xuereb and Associates gave his input from the architects’ and project managers’ perspective.
The opinion of health and safety professionals was expressed by Malcolm McIntyre, who flew in from the UK for the purpose. Mr McIntyre has over 35 years’ experience in health and safety and is a member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s New Accession Countries Working Group.
Towards the end of the conference, delegates were divided into workshops and asked to discuss the issue and to give their feedback on how the situation could be improved.
One of the main points made by the speakers was that the legislative framework on its own is ineffective, as the industry is still confused, or worse, unaware of its responsibilities in health and safety.
Simply importing a substantial number of laws and regulations and adapting them slightly for Malta is not enough. This process needs to be backed up with an effort to educate and inform the industry.
Education and training is always high on the health and safety agenda, and this was no less so at the conference.
Another issue which was highlighted was the difficulty in changing the culture of construction workers. Despite the numerous accidents at construction sites, some of them fatal, most workers seem to think such accidents cannot happen to them and consequently they work in ways that create risks.
Another issue is that the construction industry now employs workers from many different countries, thus adding a language barrier to the problem.
The construction industry has constantly to consider is the need to keep costs as low as possible to remain competitive.
Those who are knowledgeable about health and safety would argue that effective health and safety management leads to lower costs through better planning and increased efficiency, two benefits which are often overlooked during construction projects. However, raising a company’s health and safety standards will sometimes require an initial investment to introduce new systems and procedures.
The fact that the construction industry and the economy as a whole is in a recession, coupled with tight deadlines to finish construction projects, is often resulting in failing to make this investment.
To make matters worse, contracts are often awarded simply on price, and fail to take into account which contractor is likely to perform best in health and safety.
Speakers and delegates attending the conference agreed on the need to attack the root cause of the problem – a lack of awareness and understanding of the importance of health and safety at work.
It was felt that the education system has an important part to play in this; if the importance of health and safety and the benefits it provides to all stakeholders were discussed from primary school right up to University and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, within 20 years things could be greatly improved.
Also, professional people and managers must have an element of health and safety included in their training and education. These are the people clients look to for advice, so it is essential that they understand how health and safety should be managed within their disciplines.
In the shorter term, however, raising health and safety awareness not only of workers, but also of managers and supervisors, through the use of various media could bring about a marked improvement fairly quickly.
The government, possibly via the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, should invest in a country-wide campaign aimed at raising the standards of health and safety throughout the construction industry and beyond.
Rewards and incentives could be given to companies investing time and money to raise the bar in health and safety.
Change, even when it is a positive one, will always find resistance. But if we are really tired of hearing of people losing their lives on construction sites, we need to take decisive action.
We must develop a much clearer understanding of the links between better health and safety standards and the benefits they can deliver for the Maltese economy.
We must push for change now and not wait to read about the next fatality before we act.
Mr Salomone is services manager at the Institute of Health and Safety.