Bristol Landlord Fined After Fall From External Staircase

Brief Summary

A Bristol landlord was fined after a member of the public fell from an external staircase at a converted property and suffered significant injuries. The Health and Safety Executive found fundamental design weaknesses and a lack of inspection and maintenance, leaving the staircase not fit for purpose.

What Was The Incident?

In the early hours of 2 October 2023, a 28 year old man stepped outside to attend a social event at Unit 4 Merton Road. He leaned on a section of the wooden handrail and it failed. He fell from the first floor landing, around 11 feet, and landed on the concrete paved surface at ground level, sustaining significant injuries including to the head.

What Was The Outcome?

Roger Blessitt, a landlord, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,522 at Bristol Magistrates Court on 13 January 2026.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Assume staircases can become high risk even in outdoor settings. The case involved an external wooden staircase. The harm came from failure of a handrail section, showing that small defects in everyday access routes can lead to serious falls.

Design and condition must support safe use over time. The staircase had fundamental flaws in design, including significant rot and deterioration that weakened it. If the structure is already compromised, repairs and controls will not be effective without addressing fitness for purpose.

Carry out effective inspection regimes. HSE found a distinct lack of inspection and determined the staircase was not fit for purpose. An effective regime should identify defects early, including deterioration of key components such as handrails.

Maintain and repair before defects cause failure. The HSE position was that readily identifiable defects would have been repaired if inspection and maintenance had been in place. Maintenance should be planned, implemented, and evidenced.

Manage shared access routes as real workplace style hazards. The injured person was a member of the public attending an event connected to tenants. Duty holders should ensure access routes provided for others are treated as safety critical and controlled through suitable inspection and maintenance.

HSE Prosecution Link