Over 20,000 enforcement inspections conducted by OHSA and BCA inspectors in 2024

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) have conducted over 20,000 enforcement inspections in 2024, the authorities said.

A joint statement issued by the two authorities on Thursday said that figures from both authorities for 2024 reflect their commitment to raising standards in workplaces and construction sites.

Throughout the past year, the BCA conducted over 12,750 inspections, issuing 670 fines and 240 stop-work orders.

Compared to the first full year since the Authority’s establishment in 2022, this represents a 19% increase in inspections, the statement said. On average, the BCA carried out 1,063 inspections per month in 2024.

In 2024, OHSA inspectors carried out around 9,400 inspections across various work sectors, including construction sites, issuing approximately 550 penalties and 331 stop-work orders.

The OHSA also issued 960 notifications for workplace improvements. The authority conducted an average of 782 inspections per month.

Figures released by the Ministry for Justice and Construction Sector Reform also showed that the new helpline service, 138, received a total of 14,474 calls by the end of December 2024.

This represents an average of around 100 calls per day over a span of 21 weeks since the service was launched for citizens.

OHSA CEO Josianne Cutajar said that the substantial increase in the authority’s activities showed how further investment in resources can yield more positive results, enhancing health and safety across various sectors, not just construction.

BCA’s Acting CEO architect Roderick Bonnici expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the two authorities.

He said he looks forward to informing the public about further ongoing efforts in the near future, to strengthen regulatory enforcement in the best interest of safety and quality within the sector.