ILO CONSULTANT IN ADVISORY MISSION ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

ILO CONSULTANT IN ADVISORY MISSION ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

ILO Senior Labour Inspection Specialist Wolfgang von Richtofen has ended a three-day advisory mission in Malta with the scope of reviewing and analysing the current Occupational Health and Safety standards in Malta, while providing assistance for the setting up of a new regulatory framework for the Occupational Health and Safety sector in Malta as envisaged in the setting up of an Authority later on this year.

Mr. Richtofen's visit falls within the agreement of co-operation which the ILO has signed with the Maltese Government in the past weeks as part of a programme of co-operation regarding the EU accession process for the period 2000-2001.

During the past three days, Mr. Richtofen has had several meetings with social partner representatives at MCED, with members of the Commission for the Promotion of Health and Safety, and with the Occupational Health and Safety Unit within the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations. The discussions focused on the present legislative framework and occupational health and safety practices in Malta.

Part of the programme also included a visit to a number of work sites both in Malta and Gozo.

Mr. Richtofen's visit has also been planned to coincide with the preparations for the setting up of the new Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the recent publication of specific regulations in this sector.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy Lawrence Gonzi described Mr. Richtofen's visit as ‘timely' in that it has widened the local discussion on Health and Safety issues while providing further insights for the proposed legislation.

In addition, discussions have been held regarding the possibility of ILO providing assistance regarding training of the Labour Inspectorate in order to facilitate and encourage voluntary compliance while enforcing non-compliance.