COMPANIES FINED €55,000 AFTER FATAL WORKPLACE ACCIDENT IN PAPHOS - KNews 18/6
Three firms and three individuals convicted following breaches of workplace health and safety regulations linked to a worker's death.
Three companies and three individuals have been convicted by the Paphos District Court following a fatal construction-site accident that led to a worker's death.
The case was brought before the court by the Department of Labour Inspection, which pursued criminal proceedings over breaches of occupational health and safety legislation. Financial penalties imposed on the companies totalled €55,000.
The largest fine, €22,000, was handed to K. Aristodimou (Sideras) Ltd, a firm involved in steel reinforcement processing and installation. The court found that safety requirements were not followed during work carried out at height, resulting in an employee falling approximately eight metres and suffering fatal injuries. The company was also penalised for failing to maintain the legally required employer liability insurance.
A further €20,000 fine was imposed on S. Georgiou Construction Ltd, the main contractor responsible for the project. The court ruled that the company failed to ensure its subcontractor applied adequate safety measures during reinforcement works on the first floor of the building.
Among the shortcomings identified were the absence of suitable fall-protection systems and a failure to provide properly equipped scaffolding designed to prevent workers from falling while carrying out tasks at height. The company was also found to have neglected its obligation to submit advance notification documents relating to the construction site to the Labour Inspection authorities.
Celicandia Ltd, the owner of the project, received a €6,500 fine after the court concluded that workers and other individuals had been exposed to injury risks. The company was found to have failed to submit required documentation to the Labour Inspection Office and did not ensure that the site's safety and health plan was updated to address the risks associated with elevated work.
The court also determined that adequate oversight of health and safety coordination had not been ensured. This included shortcomings in the management of preventive measures, work organisation and decisions relating to equipment such as scaffolding and personnel-lifting systems.
In addition to the penalties imposed on the companies, three individuals were convicted for violations of construction-site safety regulations. The court imposed fines totalling €6,500 and prison sentences of 12 months and nine months, both suspended for three years.
