The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions has established 28 April as a day to remember all workers who died or were injured while doing their job. It is estimated that some 2.5 million workers around the world die in a given year due to accidents at work.

In Malta, it is rather worrying that, in just the first three months of this year, 915 persons suffered an injury while in the course of their duties at work. Three of them died. Last year, 14 workers died while doing their job.

Of course, the great majority of injuries at work are superficial, and the people concerned do not need treatment in hospital. But, on the other hand, there are some accidents that are serious and, unfortunately, even fatal.

Statistics issued by the National Statistics Office earlier this week indicate that, as expected, many of the accidents take place in the manufacturing industry (38.5 per cent) and the construction industry (16.6 per cent). It is clear that people working in these sectors are more at risk than others due to the nature of their job.

What springs to mind when one hears of accidents at work is whether enough is being done to protect the health and safety of workers.

Over the past years, strong efforts have been made by all concerned to create more awareness about the need to protect workers while they are on duty. The Occupational Health and Safety Authority was specifically set up to, in a few words, organise, coordinate and manage the national network in this particular area.

Among its duties, the OHSA must monitor compliance with relevant occupational health and safety legislation and take enforcement action, prepare regulations or codes of practice required to promote, maintain and protect a high level of occupational health and safety. The OHSA must also promote the dissemination of information regarding occupational health and safety, and the methods required to prevent occupational injury, ill health or death.

In addition the OHSA must carry out investigations on any matter concerning occupational health and safety, as well as investigations to ascertain the level of occupational health and safety provided at any work place. Is the OHSA doing enough? Is it equipped enough to carry out all its duties? Should it have more manpower to do so?

National campaigns have been organised to instill a better sense of responsibility among workers towards their own health and safety and that of their colleagues.

Private companies have taken the cue and many have held seminars to inform their workers about the precautions that need to be taken so as to avoid accidents as much as possible. Safety equipment is also provided to protect workers.

Yet, it seems that this is not enough because accidents continue to happen and will continue to do so in big numbers unless there is more coordination between all those involved. The problem is that many times it is the workers themselves who increase the possibility of an accident by not taking the necessary safety measures.

Many of us have seen people working on construction sites without wearing a helmet, or who are plastering a façade while sitting on a wooden plank four storeys up without a harness, just to mention two common examples. It happens in factories too where heavy machinery is operated without the employees taking adequate precaution.

This implies two things. The first is that there should be a stricter control of the safety measures taken by workers at the workplace. Employers must be adamant in their insistence that workers obey safety instructions and should provide all the necessary equipment for the employees to be protected. If employers are not obeying their duties, then they should be brought to book.

On the other hand, workers must understand that it is for their own good that their employers insist that they wear protective clothing or use safety equipment. They should never take risks because one accident could ruin their career or, worse still, cost them their life.