Construction Company Fined After Worker Falls Through Unprotected Roof Light

A London construction firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations after a 2023 incident in which a worker fell through an unprotected roof light; the case underlines the need for proper planning and fall prevention measures on refurbishment projects.

On 10 November 2023 a worker employed by Lowndes Lumb Construction Limited fell through an open, unprotected roof light while passing materials during refurbishment of a domestic property in Fulham. He fell onto a concrete floor and sustained serious life changing injuries. The company later pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and on 3 August 2026 Westminster Magistrates Court fined the firm £60,000 and ordered it to pay £6,070 in costs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the company had not put suitable measures in place to prevent a fall from height. Controls such as scaffolding, guard rails, an internal crash deck or personal fall arrest systems were not used. HSE guidance says work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely by competent people, and defines work at height as any place where, if precautions were not in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

HSE noted that falls from height accounted for around a quarter of all worker deaths in Great Britain during 2025/26 and remain a leading cause of workplace death and serious injury. The inspector concluded the incident was avoidable and reminded employers and contractors to assess where people or objects could fall and to put controls in place. The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton with paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

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