Micro and small enterprises present special challenges in achieving healthier and safer workplaces. Restricted time and resources are frequently highlighted as a barrier to adopting a proactive approach to health and safety management.

Moreover, such enterprises may experience difficulty in complying with occupational health and safety legislation and tend to underestimate the risks posed by their workplaces.

In view of this, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), in collaboration with the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA-Malta), has officially launched the Online Interactive Risk Assessment tool (OiRA), which can be used for work in an office setting.

Speaking during a half-day seminar organised by the OHSA in collaboration with the EU-OSHA on the use of OiRA, Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli said that in view of the importance of risk assessment that needs to be carried out by small businesses which comprise 97 per cent of businesses in Malta, this innovative OiRA tool is easily accessible, even from a tablet or smartphone.

It offers guidance during the risk assessment process and can also be updated anytime. Furthermore, it offers solutions regarding measures one can take to regulate their position on health and safety issues within the business.

OHSA chairman Deo Debattista said: “Micro and small enterprises and self-employed people face particular difficulties to comply with occupational health and safety legislation. This is because of the lack of resources to allow them to fulfill their obligations.”

OiRA is an online risk assessment tool which facilitates the process of risk assessment. OiRA was mainly developed to assist small and micro enterprises. However, it can be used by anyone interested in identifying and assessing the risks that may be present at workplace.

Following the identification and assessment of risks, one can formulate an action plan that will stipulate the way risks must be addressed.

OiRA has also been developed into Maltese and takes into consideration local occupational health and safety legislation to facilitate its use.

The event was aimed for micro and small enterprises, and those who attended were given a number of practical insights on the use of OiRA in their offices.

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