Workers fined Dh3,000 over fatal construction site fall

Man was paralysed and later died of his injuries after tumbling from scaffolding.

DUBAI // An architect, engineer, safety officer and labour supervisor were fined Dh3,000 each this morning for causing paralysis to a man that eventually led to his death in 2008.

AA, 55, an Iraqi architect, was the manager of the construction project where the incident happened. MA, 36, an Indian supervisor, was responsible for workers at the construction site, the 31-year-old engineer MZ, Lebanese, was the site’s manager and HT, 37, from Sudan, was the safety officer.

The victim, SS, fell from a seven-metre scaffolding on August 5, 2008, breaking his spine and leaving him completely disabled.

Prosecutors said that the defendants failed to secure the construction site and did not provide workers with a

MA, who was the only one present for the sentencing, denied the charges and told prosecutors that SS was wearing a helmet and holding a safety belt when he fell.

A Dubai Municipality report said that the scaffolding did not comply with municipality regulations and that the victim did not wear his belt. The report also said that the location lacked necessary supervision.

KF, a witness, testified that a few days after the incident, he visited SS in the hospital, and the victim told him his employers had not provided him with proper safety equipment.

SS died months after the incident, records said.

The three other defendants left the country when the case was referred to court and have not appeared.