Employer Convicted After Roof Work With No Fall Protection

Brief Summary

An employer was convicted after a worker fell through a fragile skylight while carrying out roof work. The Health and Safety Executive found the job was instructed without fall prevention or protection controls, and the employer was also not insured against injury claims. The worker suffered serious, life changing injuries.

What Was The Incident?

On 17 June 2024, a worker was instructed to replace skylights on a farm outbuilding roof. He was directed to walk across a fragile roof surface and fell through a fragile roof light to the floor below. He was taken to hospital by air ambulance and required multiple operations and treatment for serious injuries.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. A 12 month prison sentence was suspended for 18 months and 260 hours of unpaid work were ordered. Costs of 700 were ordered. At an earlier hearing, the employer also pleaded guilty to not having Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance at the time of the incident.

Key Points To Consider

Put in place suitable fall prevention and protection. Roof work on fragile surfaces must not be planned around walking on the roof without controls such as appropriate crawling boards or netting where needed to prevent or protect against a fall.

Plan the work so unsafe access is not required. If the work cannot be carried out safely, do not instruct people to cross fragile roof areas; select safe systems of work that manage the risk of a fall.

Ensure site risk controls are actually in place before work starts. It is not enough to have generic arrangements; the controls must be present and suitable for the specific roof condition and task being carried out.

Maintain required insurance arrangements. Employers liability compulsory insurance must be in place to ensure valid civil claims can be met if the worst happens.

Treat falls from height as a serious management failure. The case highlights that instructing work at height without effective controls can lead to serious injuries and custodial level outcomes, even when the incident involves a single roof light replacement job.

HSE Prosecution Link