The Minister for Justice and Construction Sector Reform Jonathan Attard together with the Chief Executive of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) Josianne Cutajar, announced the launch of a set of new legislative tools which, among others, deal with regulations on construction and the introduction of a register of competent persons.
“These are regulations designed to raise the standard of health and safety of workers, prevent work-related accidents, and ensure clear responsibilities for all those involved in construction projects,” Minister Attard began to explain.
He continued that among the main objectives we find the introduction of project supervisors who must be listed on the list of competent persons, the obligation to appoint a project supervisor for all non-domestic construction projects, which projects cannot be started without the same project supervisor and clear lines of authority for these project supervisors.
The Minister went on to say that the Government is committed to promoting a culture of greater safety and responsibility on construction sites. He also said that they are aware that the construction sector inherently contains a number of risks, but that there is a will to mitigate these through effective legislation, rigorous enforcement, and ongoing education.
“These new regulations are a link in a chain of changes that we have undertaken to implement in recent months. Just yesterday, as a Government, we submitted a notice for the parliamentary discussion that we committed to holding on March 10th to give an account of our work regarding the recommendations of the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry. We have achieved a lot, but there is still much more to be done to continue raising standards in the construction sector,” concluded Minister Attard.
Chief Executive of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Josianne Cutajar, said that these new regulations are a crucial step in the Authority’s ongoing efforts to continue improving occupational health and safety in the construction sector.
“By ensuring that there are competent project supervisors and that clear safety standards are followed, we can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. We are introducing a more effective system that will not only protect workers, but also create a more professional and responsible construction industry. The register of competent people will also be updated to ensure the highest level of professionalism,” reiterated Dr Cutajar.
The main features of the new regulations include:
- Mandatory Project Supervisors: All non-domestic construction projects must appoint project supervisors from the OHSA register of competent persons.
- Clear Lines of Authority: Project supervisors have clear lines of authority and the power to stop work, if necessary, if health and safety measures are not in place.
- Clearer Risk Assessments: All contractors and self-employed workers must provide written risk assessments.
- New rights and duties for contractors and workers, including that they must adhere to the directions given by the project supervisor.
- New Administrative Penalties: reflecting the obligations of all parties.
At the same time, OHSA will continue to carry out regular inspections to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
The Chief Executive also gave a detailed explanation of the register of competent persons in health and safety. This register will be established through an administrative instrument and will include among others the eligibility requirements, monitoring and compliance and the application process. The updated Register of Competent Persons will be available on the OHSA website ( www.ohsa.mt ).
Photo: MJR-DOI
