Keeping work injuries and fatalities at bay is a top priority for the Occupational Health and Safety Authority. Simonne Pace speaks to senior manager Melhino Mercieca, who says a holistic vision is the cornerstone of a successful approach to health and safety management within an organisation.
While there may be a negative perception of health and safety in Malta, in reality, substantial improvements have been registered in the field of occupational health and safety, Melhino Mercieca, communications senior manager at the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, said.
A former occupational health and safety officer with the authority, Mercieca’s job is to promote the importance of a risk prevention culture.
“First and foremost, we need to experience changes in perception, culture and mentality. A great deal of work still needs to be shouldered by all those involved. One must keep in mind that the health and safety authority is not the sole stakeholder and further progress can only be achieved if a holistic and collective approach to health and safety is adopted,” Mercieca explained.
One of the main functions of the OHSA is ensuring that the physical, psychological and social well-being of workers is safeguarded.
The authority, which is actively involved in the promotion of healthier and safer workplaces, shares information, promotes education and training, carries out investigations on occupational health and safety matters and makes sure that an up to date legal framework takes into account developments in the technical field and evolving world of work. Another core function of the OHSA is to monitor compliance with the OHSA Act and other subsidiary legislations.
“Therefore, it is important for the authority to strike a balance between its various roles and to prioritise its actions according to the risks that need to be addressed,” Mercieca said.
“Although the responsibility for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace lies primarily with the employer, workers are also obliged to safeguard their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions while cooperating with their employer and health and safety representatives.”
Offices are generally considered as low-risk workplaces, but there may still be risks associated with the workplace environment, such as lighting, thermal comfort, ventilation and noise; others relating to office layout, such as workstations and equipment, room dimensions, ergonomics, manual handling, visual display terminals, electrical risks and use of chemicals; risks associated with the workplace itself, such as structure and solidity of the building; and psychological factors, such as harassment, volume and pace of work.
First and foremost, we need to experience changes in perception, culture and mentality
Mercieca explained that the ideal scenario would be one where all stakeholders follow their legal obligations. This would ensure a systematic approach to addressing the hazards and risks in order to have safer and healthier workplaces.
But how can employers ensure their workers’ health and safety at the workplace? Mercieca said employers are duty-bound, at all times, to provide health and safety for their employees. They are also obliged to cater for appropriate arrangements for effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of preventive and protective measures.
An employer should also provide a risk assessment. “In terms of occupational health and safety legislation, employers are legally bound to carry out a suitable, sufficient and systematic risk assessment – a careful examination of the hazards and risks that may be present at the workplace.”
Through this process, employers can determine whether the existing control measures in place within their organisation are sufficient or if more should be carried out.
Health and safety measures at the workplace must be based on the general principles of prevention, as stipulated in the OHSA Act XXVII of 2000 – which features a list set out in descending order of preference, with the most effective control measure being risk avoidance.
“Risk assessments must cover all those who may be affected by the work activity, including risk and vulnerable groups, such as pregnant workers, breastfeeding mothers, workers with a disability and young employees who may require additional and specific control measures,” Mercieca explained.
Employers are also legally obliged to ensure provision of training, supervision, information, consultation and worker participation.
“Such provisions are considered to be the cornerstone of a successful approach to health and safety management.”
The OHSA and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work provide help and guidance on a wide range of health and safety topics through their websites. Occupational health and safety officers employed with the authority also deliver training courses on various topics of interest. The OHSA is also currently working on the development of an interactive electronic tool which can be used to carry out a risk assessment for office work.
http://ohsa.org.mt
https://osha.europa.eu/