Inspectors uncovered potentially fatal hazards in one in every six workplaces checked last month, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority has revealed.

Of 680 inspections made during July, 119 risks were found that were so serious that work was ordered to immediately to stop.

The assessments were carried out on the same month that construction worker Sarjo Conteh was killed when a wall collapsed at a building site in Cospicua. A magisterial inquiry is ongoing. 

OHSA cheif Mark Gauci said that despite the widely-available information on how to prevent occupational health and safety risks, some people persisted in ignoring their legal obligations, and putting workers at risk.

"In such situations OHSA will intervene to not only stop the work activity, but also to issue fines or commence judicial proceedings depending on the severity of the risks identified," he said.

The cases were being followed up with fines or legal action once investigations are finalized, the authority said.

The OHSA also announced that in July, 38 entities and individuals had been issued with fines ranging between €250 and €1,000 for breaches committed in the previous months.

Sarjoh Conteh was killed in a construction accident in July when a wall collapsed at a site he was working on. Photo: Facebook

Lack of safeguards to prevent falls from heights, construction site project supervisors ignoring health and safety guidelines, and construction site clients  the recommendations of the project supervisor, were the most common infringements.

The OHSA also issued 147 improvement notices in connection with workplaces not being fully compliant with the law and vetted 436 equipment examination reports.

OHSA CEO Mark Gauci remarked that despite the widely-available information on how to mitigate occupational health and safety risks, certain individuals persisted in ignoring their legal obligations, thus putting workers at risk.

“In such situations OHSA will intervene to not only stop the work activity, but also to issue fines or commence judicial proceedings depending on the severity of the risks identified,” he said.

At the moment, the authority is waiting to commence legal action against a further 450 individuals over occupational health and safety breaches.

The OHSA was recently under the spotlight following a report by the National Audit Office which expressed concern on the level of enforcement in the construction industry and called for tighter controls.

In its reaction, the authority called for speeding up court proceedings to reduce the backlog of cases, delivering harsher judgments and beefing up its resources.