Watch: Child spotted on top floor of construction site, authorities halt works
The girl did not appear to be secured by any safety equipment
Workplace safety authorities have halted works at a St Julian's construction site after footage emerged appearing to show a young child outside on the top floor of the site.
The footage appears to show a young girl peering down from the top floor of the site over a stack of concrete bricks barely reaching her waist.
The girl does not appear to be secured by any safety equipment.
A man stands close by as construction materials are lifted overhead. Neither the man nor the girl can be seen wearing helmets.
The incident was flagged by Momentum chairperson Arnold Cassola, posting Saturday to his Facebook page, Arnold's Citizen Watch.
Cassola said the incident had taken place the same day and reported the incident in an email to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
Writing on Facebook, the Occupational Health & Safety Authority (OHSA) and BCA said they had taken immediate action and issued stop works orders to the site.
"While the sharing of such material on social media is not discouraged, it is essential that any such incidents be formally reported to the relevant authorities by contacting helpline 138", the authorities said in separate posts.
Describing the incident as "shocking", an OHSA spokesperson stressed children were "highly vulnerable, and in high-risk places like that [construction site], the only option to ensure and safeguard their safety is not allowing them to be there at all".
This is not the first time authorities have acted over alleged safety breaches at height; last month, authorities moved in after a photo emerged showing an unharnessed worker standing atop “outrageous” scaffolding some six floors up while painting a building.
Last year, the OHSA and BCA carried out more than 20,000 inspections, resulting in some 570 stop works orders.
On Thursday, the OHSA and BCA reported that the 138 helpline, which is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, had received over 39,000 calls in its first year.