Despite efforts to raise safety awareness in the construction industry, certain daring practices persisted, at times with fatal consequences, the occupational safety watchdog said.
As recently as last month, a 61-year-old man died after falling off a makeshift platform consisting of a wooden plank on street wiring, David Saliba, head of technical operations at the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, said yesterday at the launch of a public consultation on new safety guidelines.
Mr Saliba outlined some of the most glaring examples of bad practices that OHSA inspectors encountered on a daily basis. He noted such abuse persisted in spite of a regime of laws and EU directives that came into force in recent years.
In certain cases, we even witnessed barefooted builders
The most common examples were unguarded shafts, staircases and balconies in shell-form structures. Often, contractors would only make amends when threatened by tough sanctions such a halting all onsite works, he said.
Mr Saliba pointed out various cases of makeshift equipment being used instead of proper scaffolding and the lack of protective gear. “In certain cases, we even witnessed barefooted builders, who insisted they felt much more at ease than wearing safety shoes,” he said.
He said precautions had to be taken to ensure that newly-built properties still in shell form were made safe before putting them on the real estate market as otherwise visitors would be put at risk.
Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli expressed concern that the construction industry had bucked the trend of recent years because, contrary to other sectors, occupation-related incidents were on the increase. While urging employers to give uppermost priority to the safety of their workers, she urged them to tap EU funds and work closely with the OHSA to invest in safer equipment and better protective gear.
Good practice guide highlights
• No structural alterations should be made before having more support to strengthen the building.
• If a roof needs to be demolished, a temporary ceiling needs to be constructed to minimise risk in case of collapse.
• Any intervention in balconies should only be carried out following professional advice that the structure is safe.
• Never place an excessive load on a roof as this might increase the chance of collapse.
• Never use chains to pull down arches as this might trigger a chain reaction that could cause dangerous splinters to come off.
• When demolishing a staircase always start from the topmost step.
• Never carry out excavation works next to a building before verifying its structural stability.
• No excavations for wells or toilets can be carried out closer than 76cm from the nearest division wall.
• Never leave open shafts or wells unguarded.
Comments and suggestions can be sent via e-mail to ohsa@gov.mt or by mail to the OHSA at 17, Triq Edgar Ferro, Pietà PTA1533 by the end of the month.