A construction worker who suffered severe spinal injuries when a ceiling collapsed in 1999 was yesterday awarded more than €320,000 damages.

In a suit for damages against his employer, C & F Building Contractors, Atef Zarrouk said he was working at St Vincent de Paul Home for the Elderly in Luqa.

He said he had been instructed to excavate a trench on the roof of a building to prepare for its demolition. The roof collapsed and he suffered serious spinal injuries, which court-appointed experts rated as a 100 per cent permanent disability.

According to evidence, Mr Zarrouk normally worked as an assistant to labourers and never refused any work given to him by his foreman. It also emerged that the foreman used to engage Mr Zarrouk when dangerous work had to be done.

The day before the accident, work on the roof was being done by a labourer who had clocked out early because of the heat. The foreman was angry and asked Mr Zarrouk to continue the job.

This was the first time that Mr Zarrouk had carried out such work and he was left unsupervised.

Mr Justice Joseph Azzopardi noted that the foreman was not familiar with the company’s health and safety manual. No health and safety officer was on site on the day of the accident.

The court noted none of the witnesses had ever heard mention of the health and safety officer. Also, this officer had not been produced as a witness by the company.

The court pointed out that, had simple and basic precautions been taken, it was very probable that Mr Zarrouk would not have been so seriously injured.

The judge concluded it was unlikely that Mr Zarrouk would ever work again.

The company was ordered to pay him damages amounting to €327,258.50.