A comparative study of occupational risks to carpenters in the public sector workshops

Abstract

Risk assessments were carried out at the woodwork workshops of the Agriculture Department at Qormi, the Education Division at Hamrun and the Works Division at Marsa, in order to identify the risks faced by the carpenters, during their normal day of work. These three distinct albeit similar workshops were selected, so as to identify any feasible differences in their disposition towards Occupational Health and Safety issues. A considerable number of risks were identified during inspections. In certain areas these risks were under control while in other areas these were below acceptable levels. An example is the different attitudes that workers showed towards Personal Protective Equipment. In some workshops PPE was used regularly while in other workshops some of the carpenters showed lack of interest to make use of such protection. Some of the machines that the carpenters operated were defective and lacked safety guards. Having this scenario in mind, I interviewed an employee who suffered a permanent disability while working on a machine. This interview was instrumental to me to understand the psychological effects that a person would suffer after such injury. Our woodwork workshops must be made safer. This may be achieved with the help of all those involved in such work. It is the duty of employers to provide a safe place of work and it is the duty of the employees to protect themselves and their fellow workers.