Attard Bros Co. Ltd was yesterday ordered to pay over €23,000 in damages to an employee who suffered a permanent disability on his place of work.

Mr Justice Raymond Pace, sitting in the First Hall of the Civil Court, heard that John Azzopardi had suffered permanent damage to his right eye when he was hit by a metal shard while George Bonello was using a chaser.

The two employees had been assigned to spread a steel reinforcement mesh on a roof. The mesh was too large and they started to cut it using large cutters. When the mesh was laid on the roof they needed to trim the steel work but could not use the cutters. They therefore decided to cut the mesh with a chaser, which Mr Bonello operated. It was at that point that the accident happened.

The court concluded that the company had not offered a safe system of work to its employees and was therefore responsible for the accident. Mr Azzopardi suffered a permanent disability of fourteen per cent in his eye and was awarded €23,525.74 in damages.