PLAYMOBIL LAUNCHES HEALTH & SAFETY WEEK

"Employer-led Health & Safety Management systems are the key determinants of a successful national policy on occupational Health and Safety. Although the government cannot abrogate its responsibility for the promotion, monitoring and enforcement of health and safety legislation and practice, it is abundantly clear that employers are in a better and more advantageous position to carry out effective health and safety measures to boost company profitability and productivity."

The Acting Prime Minster and Minister for Social Policy responsible for occupational health and safety said this during the launch of a Health & Safety Week which Playmobil Malta Ltd. organised for its employees. The week will feature lectures, exhibitions and evacuation exercises aimed at maximizing workplace safety awareness, while introducing new concepts and regulations which have been published recently by the Ministry for Social Policy and which will become effective as from next year.

Social Policy Minister, Lawrence Gonzi praised Playmobil Malta Ltd., particularly the Management and the Health & Safety Committee for taking up the initiative, saying that their example should catch fire and spread into other private and public organisations. Dr. Gonzi said that although government, during the past months, has given a lot of attention to this field, by the general upgrading of existing legislation, much still needs to be done to raise awareness of workplace health and safety issues not just amongst workers but also amongst employers. Trade Unions also have a particular role to play, especially with those small and medium sized businesses which do not have enough capacity to invest in knowledge and training on health and safety issues.

 Dr. Gonzi said that the existence of a Health & Safety Committee at the workplace, such as the one that exists at Playmobil, would soon become a requirement for every place of work which employs an appreciable number of workers. The soon to be set up Authority will be issuing specific regulations in this respect to ensure that each workplace has an adequate amount of health and safety representatives to monitor and enforce compliance of proper working practices.

"Government is showing itself committed to upgrade not just its legislative framework, but also its administrative capacity to make Malta a beacon of excellence in health and safety management practice. Evidence of this will be the increased financial allocation, which has been targeted for the coming year. "