Over 20,000 enforcement inspections were carried out at places of work and construction sites last year, thanks to the joint efforts of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

The BCA carried out more than 12,750 which resulted in the issuance of 670 fines and 240 stop-work orders. 

These figures marked a 19% increase in inspections when compared to work carried out in 2022, with the agency averaging around 1,063 inspections a month. 

Conversely, the OHSA conducted some 9,400 inspections across various sectors, including construction sites factories, offices, retail spaces, and industrial sites.

This led to 550 penalties and 331 stop-work orders and 960 notices for workplace improvement. This saw the authority averaging 782 inspections per month. 

These were complemented by the 138 construction helpline service, which received over 14,000 calls by the end of December.

OHSA’s Chief Executive, Dr Josianne Cutajar said that these figures confirm how further investment in resources can yield more positive results in enhancing health and safety across various sectors, not just construction.

Architect Roderick Bonnici, acting chief executive of the BCA, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the two authorities and looked forward to informing the public about ongoing efforts to strengthen regulatory enforcement for safety and quality in the sector.

A previous version of the article erroneously said over 20,000 inspections were carried out at construction sites. 9,400 of these 20,000 inspections were carried out at various places of work. 

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