The recent accident in Pembroke involving the terrible experience of a 66-year-old man who spent almost 24 hours chin-deep in water in a dark well holding onto the dog he had gone to rescue has drawn attention to some of the public safety hazards which might be faced by people simply pursuing an innocent walk in the ‘country’ with one’s pets.

The man fortunately was saved by the fortuitous arrival of an Englishman, also walking his dog in the area, who, hearing the barking of the man’s dog, was able to summon the help of the Civil Protection Department. The man was taken to Mater Dei Hospital and has made a good recovery.

The incident inevitably raises questions about personal and community safety responsibilities in open, public spaces. Where does public responsibility for preventing such incidents lie and where does private responsibility begin?

Although there is no question that the unfortunate accident at Pembroke of the elderly man and his dog was neither to be blamed on the luckless individual nor, so far as we know, the Pembroke local council responsible for the area, Malta’s reputation for adherence to public health and safety is not always of the highest.

While the annual statistics show that in Malta many non-fatal accidents are of a relatively minor nature, the number of accidents at work underline the Maltese 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 in the Maltese psyche, a lack of adherence to regulations and supervision, which leads to injury or even death. While the Occupational Health and Safety Authority does its best to offer advice about good practice and to ensure conformity with established safety regulations, ultimate responsibility must rest with employers and their workers.

As a very broad generalisation about the casual approach which the Maltese appear to adopt towards health and safety matters, the heart of the problem may lie in a lack of imagination about the possible consequences of individual actions, of familiarity breeding complacency, together with an ignorance of the basic steps that must be followed to ensure a safe environment.

It is the latter that may need to be examined in the wake of the accident at Pembroke. Are there any other hidden wells or danger spots in the area waiting to trap the unwitting dog-walker or innocent child playing there?

Local councils have a responsibility – a duty of care to the public – to ensure its areas are as safe as sensibly possible. This should not imply the heavy introduction of a nanny State responsible for preventing every twisted ankle or fall in the community but a sensible examination of potential accident traps in its area to prevent them from happening.

But there is also a personal responsibility, which every individual who walks his dog or goes rock climbing or trekking through the countryside must also bear. This is the need to take sensible precautions both before setting out (for example, taking a mobile phone in case of emergency, telling others where you are going and having appropriate clothing in case of inclement weather) and during the activity itself in the open countryside.

While public authorities must always ensure public safety is protected, individuals also have every responsibility to ensure they do not place themselves at risk.

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