The fall from a height is the main cause of work accidents, as a source of the Labor Inspection Department of the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance told KYPE, on the occasion of the second fatal work accident of 2021 that occurred yesterday in Strovolos.
Specifically, according to data from the Department, the fall is due to 30% of occupational accidents in all economic sectors of activity and usually 50% of fatal occupational accidents.
The first fatal accident of the new year in the new year occurred on January 5 in the province of Famagusta when a 32-year-old man from Bulgaria was working as an oil painter on a terrace on the first floor of a building under construction and fell into a vacuum from the opening of the terrace which did not have railings.
The source of the Labor Inspection Department stated that the specific accident is still under investigation and if it appears documented that there is a violation of the law, measures will be promoted, not excluding criminal prosecution.
Regarding the second deadly in 2021, which occurred yesterday and which concerns a 66-year-old self-employed plumber who while repairing a solar water heater fell from a height of about three meters, the same source said that in the 10 meter high building there was a ladder, perpendicular to the outside of the building, from which the 66-year-old seems to have fallen while descending the stairs.
He said that although this building was built in 1975, since 2002 there is provision in the law that at the stage of design of a building prevention should be applied to future maintenance work and safe access to the roof should be provided, especially in cases where there is equipment on the roof. .
He added that in case an external staircase is used, as in this case, there should be a safety ring.
In order to enforce the legislation, we set a specific condition to the competent authorities, especially for the cases of maintenance of structural elements, facilities and equipment, said the source of the Labor Inspection Department to KYPE, noting that these conditions are on the Department's website.
“It is the responsibility of the designers when designing a building to take into account these risks and to apply precautionary measures,” he stressed, noting that “the competent authorities have an obligation to monitor the implementation of these conditions.”
Inspections
The same source stated in KYPE that inspections are carried out based on the annual inspection program prepared by the Labor Inspection Department and which in the coming days will be posted on the Department's website.
He noted that the program shows in detail the annual and targeted inspection activities.
He also said that the Department is currently conducting targeted inspections to control measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Finally, he mentioned that in addition to these, training seminars are organized with the social partners and other professional bodies.
Source: KYPE
Fatal work accident in Strovolos
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