Transcript Under Construction II

Under Construction II
Malta, 2 October 2009
Angelo Xuereb
Chairman FOBC
H&S in Construction
Construction sector has one of the worst
occupational H&S records in Europe.
For every 100,000 workers in construction:
 Malta: 23 fatalities
 Europe: 13 fatalities
Cost of Health & Safety
 Low H&S standards in construction cost €75
billion every year.
 ILO estimates cost of occupational accidents at
4% of GDP
Accidents at work - 2008
 Total Malta – 3,960
 Construction – 635.
Construction accidents = 16% of all occupational
accidents
Fatal Accidents
 Construction accounts for 62% of all fatal
accidents at work.
 Average of 3 construction fatalities every year.
Health & Safety issues
Implementation depends on:
 Employer’s and employees’ attitude
 Dissemination of proper information.
H&S responsibilities
 Individual has to keep himself healthy, motivated
and capable of working.
 Employers to ensure safe working conditions
 Society to provide legislation for healthy and
profitable working conditions.
Employees’ well-being means cost-saving for
employer.
FOBC’s role
 Limited resources
 Collaboration with OHSA and BICC to
disseminate information
 Striving for management systems to ensure high
standards of health and safety
 Difficulty to get message through to contractors
Hurdles
 Desperate need for classification of building
contractors
 Lack of classification of contractors in different
categories
 Tendering shortcomings leading to unfair
competition
Physical dangers
 Physical catastrophies could be caused by
outdated construction laws.
 FOBC has been insisting on laws to be updated.
The future
 FOBC seeks new initiatives to promote
occupational health and safety.
 This seminar should assist by generating new
ideas and initiatives.