Design
health and safety matters have been of
key concern within the construction
industry over the years.
The Occupational and Health and
Safety Authority (OHSA) in Malta
has made important strides in safe-
guarding the welfare of employees
and a specific Code of Practice was
enacted in 2006 with the aim of
reducing workplace incidents in
the industry. According to OHSA
(2006, p.2) upon enactment, “the
construction sector claims the sec-
ond highest rate of occupational ac-
cidents each year, reaching 16.5% of
all reported accidents in 2005.”
While important progress have been
made over the years in the legal area,
risk and incidents still remain in place
and very often the well-developed le-
gal framework is not always adequately
adhered to by all the parties involved,
from employers, contractors, regula-
tors, professional bodies and employ-
ees. Up until 2015 the construction
industry still held the highest pro cap-
ita rate of accidents for all industries
on the island. Discussions are under
way in relation to who should be mon-
itoring the situation, although re-
sponsibilities tend to be processed in a
piecemeal fashion rather than in an
overall holistic approach.
At this point, further work
and action needs to be
undertaken in order to
ensure a safe working en-
vironment for the par-
ties involved. Monitoring
bodies should also be set in
a position whereby they can
consider project, environmental
impact, and employee well-being,
amongst others in a fully comprehen-
sive manner.
DESIGN&BUILD
Wrapping Up References : -
The construction industry in Malta
presents set challenges but also in-
teresting opportunities to persons
addressing the human capital in-
volved. The world is in flux, and the
constant in the undertakings is the
element of change. El Tayer, G. (2015). HR Challenges in the
Construction Industry. Retrieved 28 March
2017 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/
hr-challenges-construction-industry-strate-
gic-hr-agent-sphr
It is important for stakeholders to
give consideration to this, in order
to ensure a healthy and sustainable
development of the industry, while
also safeguarding the wellbeing of
the employees involved. Building
and construction may be a common
dream for all, however its profes-
sional execution needs to be care-
fully curated and nurtured in its
growth.
OHSA (2006). Code of Practice for the Con-
struction Industry. Rerieved 27 March 2017
from http://ohsa.org.mt/Portals/0/Docs/
Useful%20Information/2016/CodePractice_
Building%202006.pdf
Sang K and Powell A (2012) Gender inequal-
ity in the construction industry: Lessons from
Pierre Bourdieu In: Smith, S.D (Ed) Procs
28th Annual ARCOM Conference, 3-5 Sep-
tember 2012, Edinburgh, UK, Association of
Researchers in Construction Management,
237-247.
Siegal, S. (2015). Are HR Standards Differ-
ent in the Construction Industry? Retrieved
27 March 2017 from http://www.contractors.
net/are-hr-standards-different-in-the-con-
struction-industry/
About the author
Calvin Cassar is Human Resources &
Administration Manager at Mizzi Motors
Limited. He has particular interest and
expertise in recruitment, assessment
and quantitative analyses having gained
exposure in these through academic as well
as work experiences.
Q 2 , 2017
35