Why is my daughter counting cranes instead of trees asks MP Julie Zahra

May 19 2022

Nationalist MP Julie Zahra took to Facebook to lament on the environmental degradation of the Maltese islands as grey buildings and cranes take up most of its urban and even rural spaces.

Zahra revealed how her four-year-old daughter sometimes makes her realise certain facts that she herself would not have noted. Julie’s daughter has taken up counting construction cranes whenever the family is on the roof or out driving.

‘Is it possible that my daughter has ended up counting cranes instead of enjoying counting how many trees surround us’ she asked.

‘When will we come to realise that we need a cleaner environment? When it’s too late, as usual? Is this the Malta we are leaving to our children and our children’s children?’

The post was met with many similar thoughts and comments, with many commending Zahra for pointing this out as well as calling for more environmentally sustainable construction and land development.

#MaltaDaily

Infiorata 2022 to fill Pjazza Ninu Cremona with colours

May 19 2022

Infiorata 2022 will be established in the Pjazza Ninu Cremona open space between the 18th and 22nd of May 2022 for visitors to witness the colours and artistic prowess of its creators.

The space will be transformed into a bed of flowers which will certainly give a different view from the usual one. As Malta experiences the spring season, with flowers blooming in all of their beauty, the local council of Iklin will give new hope to its residents as we recuperate from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents will be given the opportunity to visit the exhibition during the month of May during the day. The petunia plants will be further embellished by accompanying music to create an unforgettable spring experience.

The exhibition has the full financial support of the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government as well as the Tourism Authority.

#MaltaDaily

MP Rosianne Cutajar proposes a domestic violence registry

May 19 2022

Labour Party MP Rosianne Cutajar has called for the setting up of a registry listing people with a history of domestic violence, citing a UK scheme called ‘Clare’s Law’.

Through this registry, police would be able to disclose information to people about their partner’s domestic abuse history.

Cutajar said that people have a right to know if their new partner is affiliated with this sort of abuse. The UK domestic violence disclosure scheme cited by Cutajar, called ‘Clare’s Law’ was launched in 2014.

It allows people to ask police for information on their partner’s criminal history. Police are also allowed to inform people of their current or past partner’s history of their own will should they be in danger.

The MP also pointed to statistics showing that over 500 domestic violence reports were filed in the first four months of 2022. Saying that more needs to be done to address the issue, Cutajar called for action on what can be done for people to come forward to report abuse.

#MaltaDaily

Over 9,000 inspections carried out in two years by OHSA

May 19 2022

9,106 workplaces were inspected by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) during the last 2 years. These varied from micro to large enterprises in the manufacturing, construction, and services sectors amongst others.

OHS officers who carry out these inspections look at the various aspects of work activity being carried out and take action according to the levels of risk present.

In situations where the danger is significant but not high, improvement notices are issued, instructing employers to remedy the situation within a reasonable period of time. Improvement notices were issued between January 2020 and December 2021 to nearly a third of the workplaces visited (3,045).

In 1,025 workplaces visited, the hazards present were deemed serious enough to potentially cause death or serious physical harm.

In these instances, OHS Officers issued orders for work activities to stop immediately until the situation was remedied. These cases will continue to be followed up to ensure that the workplaces become compliant. In all these instances, administrative fines are issued or judicial proceedings commenced once OHSA’s investigations are finalised.

During the same period, 1,152 entities and individuals were issued administrative fines for breaches of occupational health and safety legislation committed during the preceding months.

The most common infringements were the lack of provisions to prevent falls from heights, construction site project supervisors not adhering to OHS general principles of prevention and construction site clients not following the recommendations of the project supervisor.

During the same period of time, OHSA also vetted 8,906 equipment examination reports and 3,873 construction notification forms, amongst others.

#MaltaDaily