'No room for shortcuts' in construction health and safety, minister says
Jonathan Attard says industry must be built on discipline, training, respect for communities
The Minister for Reform of the Construction Sector insisted there is “no room for shortcuts” when it comes to health and safety in the industry.
Jonathan Attard was speaking at the inauguration of an advanced simulator for the training of excavator operators and heavy machinery workers which will form part of the educational hub of the Building and Construction Authority.
He added that discipline and “full respect” for the community should be the cornerstones of the construction sector.
“As a Government, we will continue sending a clear and unequivocal message: within the construction sector there is no room for shortcuts or compromises when it comes to health and safety. The future of this sector must be built on quality, discipline, training, responsibility and full respect towards people’s lives and our communities,” Attard said.
Last week, some 13 families in Naxxar had to be evacuated after the foundations of a nearby construction site started giving way. At the time, the developer insisted there was no danger on site. Since then, an independent architect’s report found that the site is “very precarious, at various levels” and recommended the foundations be backfilled again as quickly as possible.
On Thursday, Attard said the investment in the simulator forms part of a wider vision aimed at continuing the modernisation of Malta’s construction sector through training, innovation and structural reforms.
“We want a construction sector built on competence, quality and safety, and this is why we are continuing to invest in the training and education of our workers,” Attard added.
The Simpro3 Excavation Simulator from Sanlab is a modern technological investment that will provide realistic training to potential licensed operators of excavators and heavy machinery through the simulation of real-life construction site scenarios.
The simulator incudes a robotic platform with original controls and components identical to those used on real machinery. The system allows training across various scenarios, including daytime and nighttime operations as well as different weather conditions.
Trainees can receive instruction in areas such as trenching, digging, hill driving, soil and rock loading, pneumatic hammer positioning and several other functions related to construction site operations.