The Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector, Jonathan Attard, announced the implementation of a Budget 2026 measure with the launch of a new training programme in occupational health and safety.

With an investment of €400,000 spread over twenty-four months, this programme will be implemented by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and will be offered free of charge to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as to self-employed individuals across various sectors.

During the launch of the programme, Minister Attard stressed that this investment represents another concrete step in the Government's commitment to invest in people and to strengthen the prevention of workplace accidents.

"This Budget measure and the continued investment are clear signals of the Government's commitment to health and safety at the workplace for all workers. Just a few months after the opening of the OHSA training centre, today we are launching this investment to tangibly continue strengthening competencies and knowledge in health and safety," Minister Attard stated.

This investment will enable OHSA to use professional learning methods and modern methodologies, including the possibility of online learning and flexible schedules, in order to accommodate SMEs and self-employed workers in a way that makes it easier to attend courses without placing pressure on business operations. The courses have been designed to provide knowledge in a practical, effective and efficient manner.

Minister Attard emphasised that prevention remains the most effective form of protection, since every accident avoided helps safeguard human dignity and leads to a safer and more productive working environment. He also maintained that this commitment to training complements enforcement rather than replacing it, as greater knowledge leads to better compliance and fairer and more effective enforcement.

For her part, OHSA Chief Executive Officer Dr Josianne Cutajar said that "this project is intended to strengthen health and safety competencies among small and medium-sized enterprises, which number more than 140,000 and represent 99% of enterprises in the country. The project also addresses self-employed workers, who number around 46,000, or about 15% of the workforce in our country."

She added that training increases awareness among employers and the self-employed so that they recognise their responsibilities, particularly with regard to identifying risks and how to address them in the workplace, through courses specific to different sectors. These include care services, manufacturing, transport, hospitality and recreation, office-based or remote workers, as well as the beauty and wellness sector.

Meanwhile, the Head of Communications and Business Development within the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, Fabian Demicoli, said that they fully welcomed this initiative. While stressing the importance of making good use of time, he stated that they would be encouraging enterprises to take up these free courses.

Application forms for the courses offered by OHSA can be found on the website ohsa.mt. Applications can be completed and submitted to the Authority from today, and interested persons may call the Helpline 138 to register their interest in one of the courses offered. The Authority will then contact them with confirmation of registration and the relevant details.