Improving health and safety at Works Division

The government's Works Division, which currently has a total workforce of over 2,000, has traditionally been associated with heavy-duty, high-risk functions. Nevertheless, there seems to have been a significant improvement in the aspect of health and safety in recent years.

The Works Division under the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure is one of the largest blue-collar government entities. About 90 per cent of the workforce are industrial grades.

Several heavy-duty, high-risk functions have traditionally been associated with this Division, including sewage (only very recently transferred to the Water Services Corporation), waste management, building construction and engineering.

In the aftermath of a tragic accident at Cirkewwa in January 2000, when three sewage workers died in a cesspit, the Works Division went through the process of reviewing in depth its health and safety set-up. As a result, an action plan was drawn up, including the setting up of an Internal Health and Safety Unit (WDIHSU).

From humble beginnings, with very limited human and budget resources, this Unit now has two fully-fledged health and safety inspectors with University diploma qualifications and several trainee inspectors currently undertaking the same three-year part-time Health and Safety Diploma course.

The WDIHSU operates under the leadership and frequent active contribution of a director and the Building Construction Industry Department's (within the Works Division) assistant director.

Over these past four years, the WDIHSU planned and implemented several health and safety initiatives. It also provided assistance to line departments to conduct their own health and safety exercises. Many of the initiatives, as stated below, have been completed, while others are ongoing and repeated.

Premises inspections were conducted in most of the office blocks and workshops utilised by the Division's employees, as well as in another 128 institutional buildings frequented by the public. Findings were documented in a report so that the new requirements and alterations needed could be determined and addressed.

Moreover, many work inspections were carried out on projects and site-jobs undertaken by and for the Works Division. The procedure adopted included the filming of these works on video, followed by direct discussions with the employees concerned, usually held either on the spot or very soon afterwards, to highlight their good and bad practices.

Workers are continuously encouraged to contact the WDIHSU to forward any health and safety queries or complaints they may have, which are then communicated to the specific departmental directors to tackle and correct as necessary. The WDIHSU assists these departments in many ways to determine and implement acceptable solutions.

Important information for health and safety management has been collated for current inventory levels and annual requirements for general-purpose protective clothing and other safety items in the Works Division.

Technical specifications, based on the latest European standards, were prepared, and tender contracts awarded and renewed for all these items. A compulsory standard health and safety clause has also been prepared and is now being summarily included in all contract conditions issued by the Works Division for both products and services tenders.

Questionnaire surveys on different aspects of health and safety are periodically conducted among employees from all over the Division to obtain their perceptions and opinions.

Results are evaluated and trends determined, providing valuable insight as to the best courses of action and use of resources. Data are also aggregated and evaluated from injury records and long sick-leave certificates respectively to understand better the safety and health situation within the Works Division. Results are regularly referred back to the respective departments and to employees at all levels.

The services of professional UK consultants were also obtained to provide training and expertise in various health and safety areas, especially risk assessments as per OHS Authority Act requirements. A general health and safety policy for the Works Division was prepared and officially launched in May 2002, stating the respective rights and duties of the government employer, individual employees and other parties concerned. For the occasion, a week-long public exhibition on the various Works Division health and safety initiatives and physical items utilised here was organised with great interest and success.

Regular in-house seminars are organised by the WDIHSU on aspects of health and safety, sometimes supplemented by specialised videos. Last year, 37 such seminars were organised. They were attended by 1,000 lower-level employees of the Division. Several officials have also been sent on training courses abroad.

Information handouts are regularly distributed to all Works Division employees. More elaborate manuals are provided to directors and managers for general departmental use and availability. Posters have been put up in prominent places within the departments to alert workers about the risks around them.

All these initiatives by the Internal Health-and-Safety Unit have helped the Works Division to win the Building and Construction category at the first-ever OHS Authority Good Practice National Awards in 2002 and the Management Initiatives award last year. Also last year, on an individual basis, a member of this Unit was nominated for the national Worker of the Year award in recognition of his efforts to promote health and safety practices among Works Division employees.

There has been a significant improvement in the health and safety aspects at the Works Division in recent years, regarding the approach and, more importantly, the results. Thanks to the unremitting diligence and professionalism of the small group of employees that make up this unit, injuries on the place of work regarding Works Division employees have decreased.

Ing. Philip Schembri, B.Mech. Eng. (Hons), MBA (Dist.) is assistant director, Building Construction Industry Department, Works Division