Malta has showed marked progress in the level of occupational health and safety (OHS) between 2007 to 2013, a statement issued by the OHSA said. This emanates from the European Commission’s 2013 Labour Force Survey presented in Luxembourg.

In 2013 only about 1.5% of employed persons reported an accident at work compared to about 3.5% in 2007. This is a decrease of 2% which is remarkably better than most countries often perceived as having higher standards of OHS than Malta.

There was also a decrease in the number of employed persons reporting a work-related health problem in 2013 when compared to 2007. In this area, Malta also ranked 5th amongst 33 countries.

The survey also took into consideration time pressure or overload of work. Malta ranked 3rd amongst 28 countries and also registered a marked decrease over the six years in review – from nearly 25% to about 13%).

“We are very pleased with these results. They show that the work we undertake is in fact having a positive effect. One should remember that even a very small percentile point represents an improvement in the working environment and a better quality of life for workers in the Maltese islands,” Dr Mark Gauci, the Chief Executive Officer of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority in Malta said.

“They are indeed encouraging results. They also do away with misconceptions certain people might have that the OHSA is an idle entity and that no results are ever yielded locally. Naturally we will not rest on our laurels; if anything this spurs us further in our daily endeavours,” Dr Gauci concluded.