‘Every worker is entitled to a safe place of work’ - Minister

Every worker is entitled to a safe place of work and is obliged to follow health and safety rules, said Minister for Public Works and Planning, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, whilst addressing the 20th anniversary conference organised by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA).

Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi said that all stakeholders have a joint responsibility to instigate a culture of more health and safety in the workplace. For 20 solid years, the OHSA has been at the forefront of this ongoing mission, he added.

He thanked all those who have strived over the years to regulate and oversee health and safety in Malta, and particularly those who 20 years ago launched the OHSA.

OHSA CEO, Mark Gauci, spoke about the awareness that the authority has managed to create on health and safety, and how scientific studies are showing that accidents have actually decreased.

Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi added that in a world where time is money and when deliverables are expected yesterday, there are pressures, and many times details are considered a hindrance or an impediment to efficiency. While stating that one must not generalise how employers tackle health and safety at the workplace, there are also various times when workers fail to follow safe systems of work, he said.

“It takes a culture that values prevention over cure, which goes beyond the workplace. It takes education, as not everyone is equally informed about their rights and their duties relative to their safety and the safety of their colleagues”, he said.

The minister emphasised that equipping employers and workers alike with the right information is central to the work of the OHSA. However, health and safety are not the exclusive remits of the authority, he said. He explained that while education and collaboration are fundamental, there is also a very important factor to be considered, which is that of enforcement.

OHSA’s enforcement role is central and crucial to the whole employment sector, he said.

Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi said that “OHSA’s diligent effort can be felt across sectors, and we all must increase our incessant efforts to see that the number of workplace accidents is reduced. In this regard, the government remains steadfast in its support of the authority, to spread information and adapt the tools in its operation so that it remains effective for the needs of today.”