A port worker injured while at work at Malta Freeport has been awarded €47,061.55 in damages.
Joseph Bonanno, who filed his action for damages against Malta Freeport Terminals Ltd, told the court he was injured while tying or lashing containers together on the vessel MV Rabat, which was at the Freeport in Kalafrana in December 2007.
The lashing consisted in securing containers on board the vessel so that they would not move while the vessel was in motion and was carried out by long steel lashing rods.
Mr Bonanno said that he had not been provided with the correct lashing rods as required by safe working practices and had consequently suffered an injury to his right hand and a permanent disability.
In his judgment Mr Justice Silvio Meli said the Freeport had not supplied Mr Bonanno with the correct tools for the job and the company was responsible towards Mr Bonanno even though he was not one of its employees.
The court ruled that Mr Bonanno had suffered a two per cent permanent disability.