The PN on Monday expressed concern about a proposed bill that would involve the OHSA in magisterial investigations of workplace accidents, calling it "half-baked" and "dangerous".

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority is charged with overseeing workplace safety. As it stands, the authority can investigate any matter related to occupational safety including death or injury. However, the agency is not involved in magisterial inquiries, which are appointed for every major workplace incident. 

There are currently 87 such inquiries still pending, dating back to 2015.

A bill presented by the government now seeks to streamline that system, by involving the OHSA directly in those court investigations.

But the Opposition is concerned about potential interference in a magistrate's work. 

It is arguing that while the OHSA should be immediately informed of inquiries, allowing it direct access to inquiries is a step too far.

That, the PN argued, would mean allowing an external authority to interfere with magisterial investigations, breaching the rights of the victims and the accused.

It said the bill currently before parliament was half-baked attempt at addressing a crisis of workplace accidents, by introducing "dangerous" amendments to the criminal code. 

Its statement was signed by MPs Stanley Zammit and Karol Aquilina. 

Government: EU wants us to change our system

The government was quick to react to the PN's criticism, saying that the amendments were proposed following EU criticism of the current system. 

The European Commission's Senior Labour Inspectors Committee, the government said, was unimpressed by Malta's system of having magisterial inquiries held separately from OHSA investigations.

The amendments would ensure that the magisterial inquiry is concluded only after the OHSA's analysis is taken into consideration. 

"This will, in no way, lead to interference by the OHSA in magisterial inquiries into grievous accidents at workplaces.

"In fact, the proposed amendment will not change anything in the way that magisterial inquiries kick off or proceed," the government said. 

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