Mr. Themistoclis Kyriacou
Senior Labour Inspection Officer
Department of Labour Inspection,
Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance
T: +357 22 405631
M: +357 99 465899
E: [email protected]
Mr Themistoclis Kyriacou is a Chemical Engineer. Since 1993 I am working at the Department of Labour
Inspection. My current position is Senior Labour Inspection Officer and my duties focus on the enforcement of
legislation for Occupational Safety and Health, Seveso Directive and Offshore Safety Directive.
The enforcement of the legislation includes legislation drafting, process safety and loss prevention, emergency
preparedness and loss prevention, Major Accident Preventive Policy (evaluation), Safety Report (evaluation),
Safety Management System (evaluation), Land Use Planning (Create policy, issuing criteria, implementation of
the policy), Inspections etc. Mr Themistoclis Kyriacou is the Representative of Cyprus to the Committee of
Competent Authorities for implementation of the SEVESO III Directive, the Representative of Cyprus to the
Committee of Competent Authorities for implementation of the Offshore Safety Directive and the
Representative of Cyprus to the European Union Offshore Oil and Gas Authorities Group (EUOAG) (a forum for
the exchange of experiences and expertise both amongst national authorities and between national
authorities and the Commission on all issues relating to major accident prevention and response in offshore oil
and gas operations within the Union, as well as beyond its borders, where appropriate.
"Control of Major Accident Hazards"
The mission of the Department of Labour Inspection (DLI) of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social
Insurance is to safeguard suitable and sufficient levels of safety and health at work for all employed
persons, the protection of the public from work activities, the preservation of air quality and its
improvement when it is necessary, as well as the protection of the public and +the environment by effectively
controlling air industrial pollution, the safety of petroleum installations, the risks of major accidents and the
risks arising from the use of chemical substances and ionizing radiation. The achievement of the above
mission is accomplished with the existence of an adequate and integrated legislative, institutional and
organizational framework, the implementation of an appropriate licensing system, where applicable,
inspection and enforcement of compliance, provision of continuous updating and information to workers
and the public, training and education of DLI staff, participation in european and / or
international organizations, as well as cooperation with the social partners and other stakeholders. Major
accidents involving dangerous chemicals pose a significant threat to humans and the environment.
Furthermore such accidents cause huge economic losses and disrupt sustainable growth. However, the use of
large amounts of dangerous chemicals is unavoidable in some industry sectors which are vital for a modern
industrialised society. To minimise the associated risks, measures are necessary to prevent major accidents
and to ensure appropriate preparedness and response should such accidents nevertheless happen. Major
accidents relating to oil and gas operations, such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of
Mexico, are likely to have serious consequences on the workers, the marine and coastal environment
as well as on the establishments. The objective of the legislation is to reduce as far as possible the
occurrence of major accidents related to offshore oil and gas operations and to limit their consequences by
requiring owners and operators to identify and manage major accident hazards and to put in place effective
response strategies should an incident occur.