Labour Inspection Department Warns Work at Height Is Top Cause of Accidents After Larnaca Factory Incident

Larnaca, Cyprus. The Labour Inspection Department has cautioned that working at height is the most common source of workplace accidents in Cyprus, following a serious incident at a Larnaca factory in which a 31-year-old worker was critically injured.

Warning about smaller jobs

Tasoula Kyprianidou, the department’s deputy director, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that precautions are often neglected during smaller jobs. She said the same protective measures are required whatever the scale or length of the work.

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She added that even relatively minor tasks must come with every necessary safeguard, including safety harnesses and protective structures to stop falls.

The Thursday accident

The accident took place on Thursday afternoon. Three people were carrying out improvement works that involved fitting metal sheets to a shelter six metres above the ground.

The 31-year-old suffered critical injuries. The exact circumstances are still being investigated, and Kyprianidou said investigators are checking whether any shortcomings in safety measures at the workplace played a part.

Response at the scene

Department inspectors went to the site immediately to examine it and to keep it undisturbed until evidence could be gathered. According to Kyprianidou, their first steps were to document the conditions at the location and to collect accounts from those who were present.

Limited inspection resources

Kyprianidou also drew attention to the department’s constrained resources. It currently has 23 inspectors covering all districts, and together they conduct roughly 5,000 inspections a year on average.