Construction company fined for breaking health and safety regs

A construction company was on Monday fined €2,500 by the labour ministry after it was found to be violating health and safety regulations in the workplace.

The ministry’s department of labour inspection fined construction company Pantelis G Charalambous Property Ltd, which it said “put the safety and well-being of employees and other individuals at risk.”

The company’s multiple violations included failure to provide suitable scaffolding during the removal of asbestos-containing roof sheets, neglecting to utilise appropriate equipment, such as mobile lifting platforms, resulting in potential harm to employees, and the omission of written notification to the ministry’s chief labour inspector, detailing essential information about the employer, the nature of the work and the number of employees involved.

Moreover, the company also failed to submit a proper work plan before commencing demolition or removal of asbestos-containing roof sheets, further jeopardising the safety of workers and other individuals.

An individual working for the construction company was also sentenced to 45 days in prison for violating the minimum requirements for temporary construction sites regulations concerning the removal of asbestos.