Occupational Health and Safety Authority inspectors have carried out 3,724 inspections so far this year, stopping activity in 478 of them.

In a statement on Tuesday, the authority said it also issued 689 administrative fines totalling €256,750.

It did not provide a comparison with the previous year's figures but its CEO writing on Times of Malta in July last year said 3,121 inspections were made and 1,682 improvement orders were issued in the previous six months. 

Court proceedings were launched in 112 cases this year. Forty-six cases were decided, with all but one resulting in convictions.

Total fines amounting to €68,750 were imposed on employers, directors, project supervisors and self-employed people.

The authority said a majority of shortcomings at workplaces involved construction sites, but infringements were also found at printing presses and factories, among others.

Shortcomings included a lack of risk assessments, poor health and safety signage, an absence of fight-fighting equipment and evacuation procedures and poor maintenance of goods lifts.

The authority said it would keep up and increase its rate of inspections.