Lliber (Alicante) mayor cleared of negligence that led to operative’s injury

THE Alicante High Court cleared Lliber’s mayor, Jose Juan Reus, of responsibility for a work-related accident on municipal property.

An operative soldering a metal structure over the sports ground at the Sant Cosme y Damia school in February 2017 fell four metres when the scaffolding where he was working toppled over.

There was no safety rail, the injured man had not been provided with a harness or received training in avoiding work-related risks.  His only equipment was a pair of gloves to wear as he welded the metal structure. As a result, he was badly injured and unable to work for some time.

A Benidorm court subsequently ruled that the accident was the result of an absence of safety measures and both Reus and the injured man’s employer received six-month prison terms.

The High Court cancelled the mayor’s sentence on the grounds that it was not his responsibility to ensure safety at the site.

The tribunal nevertheless confirmed the town hall’s direct civil responsibility and the mayor was ordered to pay €210,794 compensation, which will be covered by the town hall’s insurance company.

The court upheld the employer’s sentence, ruling that that it had been established that he failed to provided the necessary safety measures “occasioning the subsequent court case.”

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