56 construction sites found working without OHSA permits between February and May

56 construction sites were found to have started works without the necessary permits issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) between February and May, Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment Jonathan Attard revealed.

He was responding to questions posed by PN MP Adrian Delia in Parliament, who asked about enforcement during those months.

The minister said that during routine inspections or following complaints filed by the public in general, the authority found 260 sites which were not in conformity with regulations, and stop works orders were issued for all of them. The 56 aforementioned cases formed part of this number.

The minister said that all sites were ordered to stop works until they are brought in conformity with their legal obligations regarding the shortcomings identified by the OHSA. The minister also said that 98 fines were issued during this period.

He also provided data for the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Between February and May, 3,001 stop works notifications were issued by it, 49 of which were done through an enforcement notice. These stop-work notices are issued both by the Permits Department, as a result of expired documentation or insurance policies, and by the Enforcement Department, where anything is identified on site that does not comply with the approved permit. In total, during the aforementioned months, 146 fines were also issued by the BCA, while no permits were revoked, he said.