The spectacular picture of the crane that toppled backwards over the bastions opposite the Central Bank building in Valletta late in the evening recently served as a reminder yet again of the casual approach which construction workers appear to adopt to health and safety in Malta.

The crane’s mobile base ended upside down, its front part pointing skywards and its arm hanging precariously down the bastion wall. The bastion was damaged in the incident, but the driver escaped unhurt.

Although it is not known for certain what caused this particular accident – and, indeed, it would be unfair to conclude that the crane driver was to blame – there have been too many instances of cranes being misused and undue risks being taken by construction workers.

A recent report by the National Statistics Office highlighted that the number of non-fatal accidents at work rose by over five per cent between April and June this year compared with the same period last year.

Two deaths were reported during the same period. There were almost 10 accidents a day during the quarter under report, an increase over 2011. Just under 25 per cent of these were in the manufacturing sector, and almost 17.2 per cent were in the construction industry.

While many non-fatal accidents were of a relatively minor nature, the statistics underline the Maltese manual worker’s apparent vulnerability to injuries at work.

There is inevitably a strong suspicion that most accidents are caused by employees and their employers failing to comply with health and safety regulations.

There appears to be a culture of risk-taking, a lack of adherence to regulations and supervision, which leads to injury or even death. While the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) does its best to offer advice about good practice and to ensure conformity with lestablished safety regulations, it is a small organisation and its officers are inevitably very stretched. Ultimate responsibility must rest with employers and their workers.

The OHSA has issued a comprehensive leaflet in Maltese on the safe use of cranes. It contains the clear reminder that accidents only happen when there is an abuse of procedures and when the crane’s machinery is not properly used, often because the crane driver is over-confident or is in too much of a rush to complete the job. One has to ask whether in the case of the crane that toppled backwards over the bastion the fact that the erection of scaffolding was taking place at about 8.15 pm, when the evening was setting in, had any bearing on what occurred.

The leaflet points out that cranes are designed to operate safely and when correctly used can carry and lower heavy loads successfully. But the crane operator must himself be properly fit and trained to do the job, and must ensure that the crane is on level ground, its outriggers fully open and based on solid ground.

Cranes have to be examined and certified as fit for operation every 14 months. It is assumed that the inquiry into the circumstances which led to this accident will examine these and all the other factors surrounding the case.

However, the key message this incident serves to underline is the urgent need to change the whole culture and attitude of Maltese employers and workmen to health and safety. There is a moral responsibility on employers to protect their employees’ lives and health.

Good health and safety at work leads not only to a more contented workforce, but also a more productive one.