A High Court judge has held the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) partly responsible for the injury of one of its employees, ordering the state utility to pay over $500,000 in compensation.

In a ruling on July 1, Justice Ricky Rahim found T&TEC liable for failing to ensure a safe workspace.

Marlon Nelson, a helper in T&TEC’s protection and supervisory control and data acquisition department, suffered serious injuries while moving a heavy electrical panel in May 2016 at the SCADA annexe in Mt Hope. Nelson claimed he was instructed to clean the annexe as part of a rat infestation clean-up, but was also expected to move equipment, including large wired panels.