The department of labour inspection has pursued criminal charges against an individual and a company called Harco Trading Ltd for breaking laws concerning workplace safety and health.

The Nicosia district court sentenced an employer at the company, to a €2,000 fine and a suspended four-month prison term for three years.

The penalty stems from several breaches of safety and health laws that led to the fatal injury of an employee and the injury of other individuals.

The violations included the failure to ensure safety during the installation of a metal pallet storage system in a warehouse under renovation, resulting in a fatal fall and the neglect in implementing an effective safety or risk management system.

On top of that the court found that the company did not compile a proper written risk assessment to identify necessary preventive and protective measures.

Moreover, Harco Trading Ltd, the primary contractor and warehouse owner, received a total fine of €6,000 for failing to ensure that an individual conducting warehouse renovations had an appropriate safety system and written risk assessments in place.