Malta’s safety authority has called out the sharing of potentially dangerous footage on social media, saying it made it harder for them to stop accidents from happening in the wake of shocking footage being revealed online.

However, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) did confirm that the system being used in the video wasn’t the preferred system as far as safety goes, urging better practices.

The viral footage showed two workers hanging on for their lives after the platform they are on seems to break. One worker can even be seen hanging on to another man’s hands above a major drop. 

OHSA said they were unable to confirm where or when the video was taken, saying they were unable to investigate in time as they hadn’t received the footage. However, they urged the use of a safer procedure for works in heights.

“When working at a height, a mobile elevated working platform is ideally used,” OHSA said. ” If this isn’t possible, a lifting system, including a counter-weight and and an engine, should be designed and manufactured to hold the entire weight of the cage, workers, tools and other materials. These systems must also be examined and certified by competent people.”

“Apart from this, a safety harness tied to a secure anchor point and separate from the lifting system must be worn as well,” they continued.