Fines totalling €111,800 were issued by the Nicosia District Court and the Larnaca District Court to a total of 21 companies or persons in 2021 for breaches of the Occupational Safety and Health Legislation.
Specifically, within the framework of its competence, the Labour Inspection Department of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance promoted the prosecution of employers and company directors who violated the provisions of the Legislation, which related to Occupational Safety and Health issues.
As a result of these prosecutions, the Nicosia District Court convicted in 2021 the following persons for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Laws and Regulations, the Minimum Safety and Health Standards Regulations, and the Occupational Safety and Health Management Laws and Regulations:
The company "ANDREAS NEOFYTOU ANDRONIKOU & SONS LTD", operating in the field of pig farm management, to a total fine of €2.250.
The company "TSIELEPIS CONSTRUCTIONS LTD", operating in the construction sector, to a total fine of €3.000, for endangering persons at work.
The company "XANTHOSCOACHESLTD", operating in the field of urban and suburban passenger land transport, to a total fine of €2.000.
The company "D.K. DIMITRIADIS LTD", operating in the field of wholesale trade of timber, building materials and sanitary goods, to a total fine of €3.200.
The company "J.K. SWITCHBOARDSLTD", active in the field of electrical panel assembly, to a total fine of €5,000.
The company "S. & G. CONSTRUCTIONSLTD", active in the field of construction, to a total fine of €1,000.
E.M. WOOD-WORKINGLIMITED", active in the field of carpentry, to a total fine of €1,500.
A. MINTIKKIS FARM LTD, operating in the field of manufacturing and packaging of burgers, to a total fine of €3,000.
The company "ANDREAS CHRISTODOULOU CHRISTODOULOU ABRAAM COMPANY LTD", operating in the field of construction, to a total fine of €1,750.
The company "ANDREAS CHRISTODOULOU CONSTRUCTION COMPANY", operating in the field of construction, to a total fine of €1,750.
The company "ANDREAS CHRISTODOULOU CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD", operating in the field of construction, to a total fine of €1,750.
The company "MURADALOKLATCONSTRUCTIONLTD", operating in the construction sector, to a total fine of €2,000.
The company "ROTOSDEVELOPERSLTD", operating in the construction sector, to a total fine of €4.000.
The company "SYRIAKOS SYLOGOS - SYRIANCLUB", operating in the catering sector, to a total fine of €7.250.
The company "MI.PA. METAFORES LTD", operating in the field of land transport, to a total fine of €7,500.
Also, a project owner to a total fine of €2,250, for violations of the provisions of the legislation on safety and health at work. An employer operating in the field of protection and prevention services to a total fine of €2,000, for infringements of the provisions of the legislation on safety and health at work.
Furthermore, a company director to a total fine of €7,500, for infringements of the provisions of the legislation on safety and health at work, based on the power to take decisions on behalf of the company he was managing by virtue of the position he held, and finally, a company secretary to a total fine of €7.500, for breaches of the provisions of the legislation on safety and health at work on the basis of the decision-making power he had as company secretary.
Larnaca
Moreover, according to the announcement of the Labour Inspectorate Department, as a result of these prosecutions the Larnaca District Court sentenced in 2021 the company "S.T.P. METALLTD", which operates in the field of scrap metal processing, to a total fine of €7.300, for the following violations of the Minimum Safety and Health Standards (Use of Work Equipment at Work) Regulations, the Management of Safety and Health at Work Regulations and the Basic Requirements (Machinery) Regulations, which caused the serious injury of one of its employees and endangered its employees and other persons.
Specifically, according to the Labour Inspection Department, the Larnaca District Court convicted the company for failing to supply the metal cutting machine, whose moving parts presented mechanical contact hazards that could cause accidents, with guards or systems that prevented access to the danger zones or stopped the movements of the dangerous elements before access to the danger zones, with the result that when the metal cutting machine was being used by one of its employees, the moving clamping arm of the machine fell on his right hand, trapping it under the clamping arm, and he suffered fractures to the end of his right arm.
For failing to equip the metal cutting machine whose moving parts presented mechanical contact hazards that could cause accidents, with guards or systems to prevent access to the danger zones or to stop the movements of dangerous parts before access to the danger zones.
Also for failing to revise the Written Risk Assessment available to it, dated March 2014, to include in it the risks to the safety and health of its employees from the use of the metal cutting machine it purchased in 2017 and to determine the preventive and protective measures to address the risks, for failing to identify and assess the risks and take the necessary preventive measures in a timely manner and for failing to procure and use a metal cutting machine which was CE marked and had the required EC Declaration of Conformity which was required to accompany the machine.
In addition, according to the Labour Inspection Department, the Larnaca District Court sentenced within 2021 the company "MITAKORIALA & CHRISTOFIIMPORTSLTD", operating in the food retail sector, to a total fine of €1.000, for the following violations of the Management of Occupational Safety and Health Issues Regulations and the Occupational Safety and Health Laws, which endangered its employees and other persons and which relate to the failure to provide a written assessment of the risks to the safety and health of its employees and other persons, based on which the preventive and protective measures to address the risks were determined, to identify and assess the risks in a timely manner and to take the necessary precautions YIALLOUROS & SONS CONSTRUCTION LTD', active in the construction sector, to a total fine of €38.000, for the following violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (Minimum Specifications for Temporary or Mobile Workplaces) Regulations, which caused the fatal injury of its employee and endangered its employees and other persons at work and which relate to the failure to install a suitable cover, fixed and of sufficient strength to effectively cover an opening in the floor between balconies of the third floor of a building and/or, installing solid handrails to effectively enclose an opening in the floor between balconies on the third floor of a building, of sufficient height, at least 1.10 metres from the floor, having a canopy, a handrail and a horizontal element, or using other equivalent means, to prevent persons from falling, causing her employee to fall from a height of approximately 9 metres and suffer fatal injuries.
Also, for failing to install a 30mA high sensitivity automatic leakage circuit breaker (Residual Current Device) in the electrical supply circuit of portable electrical appliances and work equipment powered by electricity, for failing to provide scaffolding with suitable stairways of adequate dimensions or other equivalent means for safe access to work platforms, failure to install solid handrails at the ends of floor exits (balconies) of the floors, at a sufficient height of at least 1.10 metres from the floor, with a parapet to prevent persons from falling from a height of approximately 3 to 12 metres, and failure to take steps to ensure that the Health and Safety Plan (HSP) together with the Written Risk Assessments (WRA) are available on site.
In addition, for failing to take steps to have the scaffolding inspected by a competent person and to prepare an inspection report (a) prior to the commencement of use of the scaffolding and at regular intervals not exceeding seven calendar days, for failure to place or post a sign with the names and contact details of the Design and Execution Coordinators in a prominent place on the site prior to and throughout the execution of the works, for failure to transmit, 14 days prior to the commencement of the works, of the Prior Site Notification together with the necessary accompanying documents to the competent Provincial Labour Inspectorate Office and for failing to ensure that the Safety and Health Plan (SHP) was updated in good time to include the working method and technical measures required on the basis of the risk assessment for carrying out the works at a height such as plastering the masonry of the floors of the block of flats.
Finally, in its announcement, the Labour Inspection Department states that the Larnaca District Court sentenced the company "YIALLOUROS & MICHAEL LAND DEVELOPERS LTD", which operates in the construction sector, to a total fine of €2.800, for the following violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (Minimum Specifications for Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites) Regulations, which endangered persons at work and which relate to the failure to place or hang a sign with the names and contact details of the Design and Execution Coordinators at a prominent point of the construction site before and throughout the execution of the works, failure to transmit, 14 days prior to the commencement of the works, the Advance Site Notification together with the necessary accompanying documents to the relevant Provincial Labour Inspectorate and failure to ensure that the Health and Safety Plan prepared was adequate and appropriate and included, inter alia, measures to address the risks associated with working at height.
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