Construction And Workplace Accidents – Caselaw Update

In two recently published Judgments (Α. ΕΡΓΟΛΗΠΤΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΓΙΑΝΝΑΚΗΣ ΓΙΑΝΝΗ ΣΥΜΕΟΥ & ΥΙΟΙ ΛΤΔ v. ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗ ΣΑΒΒΑ, Civ App. 266/2017, 2/12/2025 and ΑΛΕΞΗ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ν. ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (ΚΑΛΑΜΟΥΔΙΑΣ) ΛΤΔ Civ App.301/2015,1/12/2025), the Supreme Court of Cyprus (SCC) has reminded us, and especially the Employer/Contractor, the all-important consideration of basic safety measures in construction work.

Basic safety measures matter, but their presence matters even more in the field of construction work. This is especially true where an employee will most of the time be a subcontractor offering his services to another contractor for the main contractor. Outsiders, in the form of specialised workers, like a subcontractor, are often left to their own devices, and not being included, briefed or cautioned on a safe system of work.