Court verdict and penalties
The Nicosia District Court imposed a total fine of €15,500 on two companies following criminal prosecution by the Department of Labour Inspection of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The case involved a worker who fell from a height of 5.5 metres.
Violations by B. Perkola Building Works Ltd
The Court fined B. PERKOLA BUILDING WORKS LTD, which handles timber formwork construction among other activities, €11,500 for violations of the 2015 Safety and Health at Work (Minimum Requirements for Temporary or Mobile Worksites) Regulations and the 1996–2020 Safety and Health at Work Laws.
The company failed to ensure that scaffolding floors were complete and without gaps. As a result, a worker fell through a 250cm x 30cm gap while carrying plywood with a colleague, suffering a thoracic injury from a 5.5-metre fall.
The Court noted the company also failed to supervise operations properly, exposing employees to risk, and neglected to coordinate with the project’s Safety and Health Execution Coordinator.
Violations by Cyfield Construction – Cyfield Development J.V.
The Court also fined CYFIELD CONSTRUCTION – CYFIELD DEVELOPMENT J.V., the contractor for the overall project, €4,000 for breaches of the 2015 Safety and Health at Work Regulations, which placed B. Perkola employees at risk.
Specifically, the Court found that the company failed to provide scaffolding with adequately sized ladders or equivalent means for safe access to work platforms. It also did not inspect scaffolding prior to formwork installation to identify and repair defects.
The penalties serve as a reminder of the critical importance of health and safety compliance on construction sites.
Also read: Businessman ready to submit evidence in case involving Phedonos
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