On Friday 24 May, the Cyprus Labour Inspectorate announced the launch of a major new campaign to ensure safety on construction sites.
According to the announcement, raids will be carried out on all construction sites on the island. Mass inspections to check compliance with safety measures during the work process will begin as early as July. They will be repeated in August and September 2024.
Senior public sector and municipal officials have been appointed to oversee compliance with these obligations. Any offenders will be severely reprimanded, with appropriate recommendations to improve safety measures, and banned from further work until all deficiencies have been rectified.
Failure to pay a fine on time will be treated as a criminal offence. In exceptional cases, the most severe measures will be applied, including the complete closure of the site
It should be noted that construction accidents are not uncommon in Cyprus.
In fact, the construction sector is traditionally one of the three sectors with the highest number of accidents, including fatalities. At the top of the list are accidents caused by falling from a height. This is followed by injuries caused by working with machinery - the use of cranes and lifting equipment. In third place are accidents involving the collapse of materials or buildings.
The construction sector in Cyprus is one of the high-risk groups with the highest number of accidents, around 42% of the total. The campaign aims to raise awareness among all those involved in construction projects and to implement preventive and protective measures in order to reduce accidents, occupational problems and dangerous incidents related to activities in this sector," the Ministry of Labour said.