Two Companies Fined Over Death Caused By Falling Penthouse Window

St James Limited and Lindner Prater Limited were fined after an investigation found failures in the design and risk management of bespoke penthouse windows at the Corniche development that led to the 2018 death of a coach driver; the case highlights the need to verify fittings, assess the consequences of design changes and act decisively after a near miss.

Two companies have been sentenced after a window unit fell from the 26th floor of the Corniche development on Albert Embankment in London and killed 53 year old coach driver Mick Ferris on 2 October 2018. The unit, reported to weigh about 130 kg, fell some 300 feet onto a pedestrian area as Mr Ferris returned to his coach. Mr Ferris’s family described the death as sudden, avoidable and deeply affecting.

HSE’s investigation found a series of failings in the design and risk management of the bespoke penthouse windows. The windows had been altered during design to open outwards rather than inwards, which placed people below at risk if a glazing unit detached. Safety relied on a single restrictor held by a single screw, and the fittings had not been confirmed by manufacturers as suitable for the bespoke curved units. In August 2017 a window left open fell from the same penthouses during construction and nearly hit two workers, but records show concerns identified in an internal review were not followed up effectively.

After a five week trial the companies were found guilty of contravening Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. At Inner London Crown Court on 24 September 2026 St James Limited was fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £125,000, and Lindner Prater Limited was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £125,000. HSE inspectors noted that both incidents occurred without unusually high wind speeds and that relying on signage to expect residents to close windows was an inadequate control.

For health and safety professionals the case underlines practical lessons for design and site safety: ensure design changes are risk assessed for the likely consequences, verify that components and fittings are suitable for bespoke configurations, treat single point of failure controls with caution and act promptly and effectively after a near miss. The HSE investigation was carried out by HM Inspector Andrew Verrall Withers and HM Principal Inspector James Goldfinch, and the prosecution team included Counsel Gordon Menzies and Doug Scott, HSE Senior Enforcement Lawyer James Towey and paralegal Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

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