Prosecutor seeks €45,000 fine for Estonian company over workplace safety violation in Raisio

A prosecutor is seeking a collective fine of €45,000 for a Estonian company and penalties for four individuals associated with a workplace safety violation related to a construction site. The prosecution demands 40 daily fines for the site manager, the supervisor, and a board member of the Estonian company. Additionally, daily fines are also requested for the crane operator for causing bodily harm.

The Estonian company had been hired as the primary contractor for a construction project, alongside several other subcontractors on site. The incident occurred in December 2015 at an expansion site for a car park in Raisio. While a lifting plan related to the crane had been prepared, the prosecutor contends that the lifting area was incorrectly marked and failed to account for a power line running over the site.

The crane was conducting work in close proximity to a high-voltage line when it made contact, resulting in an electric shock to a worker standing on the ground beside a securing cable. This contact also led to a significant power outage affecting approximately 70,000 people in the Turku region.

The prosecutor’s complaint states that the company, its management, and the site manager neglected to consider the existence of the high-voltage line during all phases of site planning. The crane operator is solely accused of causing bodily harm, having left the crane cabin without ensuring that the wind brake was engaged, which allegedly caused the boom to move and strike the power line.

The injured worker suffered severe burns to nearly a third of his skin and required skin graft surgeries due to the injuries. The Turku District Court began hearings on the case on Wednesday.