• 19-year-old worker died after falling through garage roof
• HSE investigation found there were no measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall.
• Jason Hill jailed for 12 months as teen’s family warn ignoring health and safety ‘has irreversible consequences’

A self‑employed contractor has been jailed after a teenager fell to his death during demolition works on a property in Surrey.

Jason Hill had hired 19-year-old Thomas Neate, known as Tom, to help demolish a garage at a domestic property in preparation for an extension, at an address on Glebe Road in Staines-upon-Thames.

On 16 August 2023, Tom, who was local to the area, was on the garage roof removing tiles and other materials when he fell through an opening and suffered severe head injuries. He was taken to hospital but he died several weeks later on 23 September.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Hill, 59, of Ashford in Middlesex, had put no measures in place to prevent a fall from height, despite the clear risk. Work was being carried out directly from the roof with no scaffolding, decking, or other protective systems to prevent a person falling through or from the structure.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. HSE has detailed guidance available on working safely at height and managing construction activities employers should follow to prevent incidents.

In a statement provided to HSE, Tom’s family spoke of their devastation at his untimely death.

“Tom was a kind hearted and hard working young man who was such a huge part of so many people’s lives,” they said.

“His loss has devastated us and knowing it could have been avoided makes that loss even harder to bear. His death should never have happened and while we acknowledge the court’s decision, no sentence can reflect what we have lost.

“We can only hope that this case serves as a warning to others that ignoring health and safety has irreversible consequences.”

During the course of the HSE investigation, other concerns were identified, including unsafe mini-digger use and a failure to stop members of the public entering the site, indicating broader failings in Hill’s approach to managing health and safety.

The investigation also found no assessment to determine whether asbestos was present. Corrugated concrete sheets being snapped and removed by hand were later found to be made from asbestos cement – a material commonly found in buildings constructed before 2000. There were three other workers on site who were at risk of exposure to fibres as the sheets were handed down to them, as well as the family whose garage was being worked on.

Before any demolition or refurbishment work begins, dutyholders must assess whether asbestos is present and plan how work will be carried out safely. See Asbestos Essentials Task sheets for step-by-step instructions.

Jason Hill, of Ashford, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Staines Magistrates Court on 30 January 2026. He was immediately jailed for a period of 12 months. No costs were awarded.

HSE Inspector Jennifer Lester said: “Jason Hill’s failure to put in place basic safety measures has cost a young man his life.

“The fact he has been sent to prison demonstrates just how seriously this has been taken.

“Working at height remains one of the most well‑known and significant causes of death and injury in construction, and simple, recognised precautions would have protected Thomas Neate from harm.

“Even small contractors and individuals working on domestic projects have a legal duty to ensure the safety of workers and members of the public.

“Failing to take these precautions can have devasting consequences, as this tragic incident starkly demonstrates. Our thoughts are with Tom’s family and friends as they mourn their loss”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.
5. The HSE campaign “Asbestos and You” reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it.

• Worker suffered life-changing injuries after falling through fragile rooflight.
• HSE investigation found no measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall.
• Incident highlights ongoing risks of working at height in construction.

Daniel Jenner, trading as Jenner Roofing and Building Services, has received an eight-month suspended sentence after a worker fell four metres through a rooflight to the concrete floor below.

The incident occurred on 12 August 2023, when a worker was carrying out work on behalf of Jenner Roofing and Building Services, at an industrial estate in High Wycombe, working alone to clean and repair gutters and drains.

While walking next to the unguarded edges of the roof, he approached a fragile roof covering above a service road. He stepped onto a rooflight, fell through it, and sustained serious, life-changing injuries including a fractured skull and cheekbone, a fractured leg and a broken wrist.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Daniel Jenner had failed to implement any work-at-height measures to prevent workers from falling from the unguarded edges of the roof or through the fragile roof itself. There were no measures in place to mitigate for either the distance or the impact of a fall.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. HSE has detailed guidance available on working safely at height and managing construction activities that can be found on our website.

Daniel Jenner, trading as Jenner Roofing and Building Services, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He received an eight-month suspended sentence, was ordered to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and to pay £500 in costs at a hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 21 January 2026.

HSE Lead Inspector, Sophie Neale, said:

“This was a tragic but avoidable incident, where an individual suffered life-changing injuries due to working at height. Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as fall prevention or fall mitigation measures, this incident would not have occurred.

“This prosecution highlights ongoing safety failures in the construction industry, where working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Gemma Zakrzewski and paralegal officer, Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Work at height – HSE
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Worker suffered life-altering back injuries after falling from a MEWP basket.
• HSE found the company failed to plan, supervise or safely carry out work at height.
• AP Tree Specialists Ltd fined £20,000; director fined £1,000.

An arboriculture company based in Derby has been fined £20,000 after an employee suffered life-altering back injuries when he fell over 30 feet from a MEWP basket.

An employee of AP Tree Specialists Ltd had been carrying out tree surgery from the basket of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) at a mobile site in Derby on 25 January 2024. When the machine stopped working while elevated, there was no one on site who could bring the basket safely to the ground. The employee attempted to abseil from the basket, resulting in a fall to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that AP Tree Specialists Ltd failed to plan, appropriately supervise and carry out work at height in a safe manner. The company had not completed a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work at height activities, and employees were not appropriately trained in the use of lifting equipment.

The director, Matthew Scholes, was acting as site supervisor at the time and was directly involved in decisions and actions that led to the injuries sustained by the employee.

The Work at Height Regulations require employers to ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely. Where lifting equipment is used, HSE guidance states that operatives must receive appropriate training, and that rescue planning, equipment and personnel must be considered as part of site assessment. Further guidance is freely available in HSE’s Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (LOLER) Approved Code of Practice.

AP Tree Specialists Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £6,956 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 3 December 2025.

Director Matthew Scholes pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £400 in costs.

HSE investigating inspector, Kerry Scott, said: “This incident could have been avoided if AP Tree Specialists Ltd had planned the work at height with suitable and sufficient risk assessments and safe systems of work, including a rescue plan. They should have provided the employee with the correct information, instruction and training for working at height and for using the lifting equipment. HSE will not fail to take action where companies and directors do not ensure the health and safety of their employees.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by paralegal officer Thomas Smith.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Safe use of work equipment. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Approved Code of Practice and guidance L22.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Apprentice fell through fragile roof.
• One company failed to properly plan for the work.
• Second company failed to produce documents as part of investigation.

Two companies have been fined after an apprentice fell from height while installing CCTV in Weymouth.

The then 20-year-old electrical apprentice had been working for Tristan G Murless Limited at one of their sites at a commercial industrial estate at Lynch Lane on 13 July 2022. He had been using a makeshift crawling board when he fell around 11 feet through a fragile roof to the concrete floor below.

The incident took place on the roof of a lean-to attached to a main warehouse. The project involved the installation of electrical cables and conduit around the perimeter of the warehouse in readiness for the installation of CCTV. The man lost consciousness at some point prior to the arrival of the ambulance and could not feel his body. He was unable to walk temporarily after the incident and sustained injuries to his back, including muscular tissue damage which requires physiotherapy.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Tristan G Murless Limited failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, by failing to properly plan and provide suitable equipment to prevent the fall through the fragile roof.

• Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height.

HSE guidance states that employers must ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner and that the planning should include the selection of work equipment. Every employer should take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent any personal falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. Workers should not have worked on the fragile roof where it was avoidable. Where roof work is not avoidable, edge protection, roof coverings and stagings or similar should be in use to stop a fall, with personal fall protection where needed.

A second company – Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited – has also been fined after they failed to comply with a HSE demand to produce documents to assist its criminal investigation into the incident. The request was made by HSE inspector Rebecca Gittoes under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Tristan G Murless Limited of Avon Close, Weymouth, Dorset pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,168 in costs at Bristol Magistrates Court on 28th November 2025

Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited of Dean Park Crescent, Bournemouth, Dorset pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 20(2)(k) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £1,200 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Gittoes said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and fatal, occur as a result of poor work at height planning.

“In this case, a young man at the start of his career was failed by his employer.

“Had the company suitably risk assessed the task, provided suitable work equipment and a safe system of work, this incident would not have happened.

“The case brought against Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited should also underline to everyone that the HSE and the courts take a failure to comply with section 20 very seriously.

“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not co-operate by failing to provide requested documents.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officers Daniel Adams and Sarah Thomas.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in Scotland can be found here.

• Worker died after falling through unprotected skylight opening at domestic property.
• Company failed to take measures to prevent falls from height.
• HSE reminds employers of guidance for safe working at height.

Skyladder Construction Limited has been fined £33,500 after a man died when he fell through a skylight opening at a domestic property.

The company was constructing a single-storey extension with a flat roof at a property in Farnborough. On the evening of 20 July 2022, it began to rain, and the company director and an employee returned to the site at approximately 11pm to cover the new roof with a blue plastic tarpaulin, securing it with logs of wood.

Bhakta Rai accompanied the employee to the site that evening. At some point, Mr Rai went onto the roof to assist and fell through a hole intended for a skylight, falling approximately 2.5 metres onto the concrete floor below.

In an attempt to recover Mr Rai, he was lifted back through the roof opening, carried across the roof, and then brought down a ladder at the front of the property. No ambulance was called, and Mr Rai was transported to hospital in a van. He died a few days later after sustaining significant injuries, including a spinal fracture, fractured skull, possible bleed on the brain, and swelling to the head.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) attended the scene on 21 July 2022. Between the police leaving the site (at around 4am) and the HSE’s arrival later that day, the tarpaulin had been replaced, covering the roof.

An HSE investigation found that Skyladder Construction Limited failed to take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as was reasonably practicable, any person from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. There were no physical measures in place at the edges of the building or around the skylight openings to prevent a fall, and no measures to mitigate the distance or impact of a fall.

Skyladder Construction Limited also contravened a requirement imposed by an HSE inspector. During the investigation, HSE requested information from the company under Section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which it is an offence not to provide. No response was received.

HSE guidance sets out measures for planning and carrying out work at height safely. It includes practical controls that can be implemented to remove or reduce the risk of a fall. Following this guidance would have identified the risks from the unprotected roof and shown that the risk could have been eliminated entirely by changing how the work was undertaken. Further guidance can be found here: Work at height – HSE.

Skyladder Construction Limited, of 8 Harbour Close, Farnborough, GU14 8HT, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Section 33(1)(e) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to provide information requested under Section 20 of the Act.

The company was fined £33,500, ordered to pay £8,472 in costs, and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on 31 October 2025.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Jenny Morris said:

“Falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality, accounting for around a quarter of all worker deaths. In this case, this was a wholly avoidable incident — Mr Rai died in a fall which should never have been able to happen.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and Paralegal Officer Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Work at height – HSE https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

A Cambridgeshire logistics business has been fined £133,000 after an employee suffered multiple injuries after falling from a sugar beet conveyor.

The employee was loading sugar beet for transport using a conveyor at Knowles Logistics Limited, on 28 November 2023, when the system became blocked with waste product. They fell after climbing the side of the conveyor to clear the blockage, suffering multiple injuries including several broken ribs, a punctured lung, and liver damage.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the conveyor system became blocked multiple times during a shift. Often these blockages could only be cleared by climbing up the side of the machine and removing the obstruction by hand. There was no safe system of work in place for clearing blockages.

HSE guidance states that work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely by competent people. Work at height includes any place where, without precautions, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Further guidance can be found here: Working at height: A brief guide.

Knowles Logistics Limited, of Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £133,000 and ordered to pay £5,438 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 24 October 2025.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said:

“Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to a worker being seriously injured.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Iain Jordan, supported by Paralegal Officer Atiya Khan.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Working at height: A brief guide.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Man had been helping with roof work on an extension when he fell
• No measures were in place to stop falls from height.
• HSE guidance is available.

A self-employed builder from Reading has been given a suspended prison sentence after a man fell to his death while assisting with roof work.

Raffaele Vigliotti, 68, who was trading as Absolute Building Solutions, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, after the death of Andrew Layley. The 69-year-old, an acquaintance of Vigliotti, was helping with roof work as part of an extension to a domestic property in the town.

It was during this work on 8 April 2023 that Mr Layley fell and sustained serious head injuries. He died in hospital several weeks later.

Mr Layley, from Reading, was married with three grown up children and had a love of cats. His wife of nearly 40 years and children massively feel the loss of their “caring” husband and dad, saying his loss has left a huge hole in their lives.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Vigliotti failed to put in place suitable measures to protect both Mr Layley and another worker while they were working at height. The measures that were used were inadequate to either prevent or control a fall, or mitigate the consequence of a fall.

HSE guidance requires where it is not possible to avoid working at height, action must be taken to control the risk of falling and also minimise the consequence of a fall by either minimising the distance of a fall, or having measures in place, such as soft landing systems, to mitigate the fall. Guidance on working at height is available – Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Mr Vigliotti of The Hedges, Bath Road, Padworth, Reading, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  At Reading Crown Court on 13 October 2025 he was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.  He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 18 months and to pay a victim surcharge.

HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of unsuitable or absent measures to protect workers from falls from height.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident, and if consideration had been given to the well-known risks of working at height, and suitable, readily available controls been put in place, this incident could have been avoided.

“Due to Vigliotti’s failures, a family has been left without a much loved husband and dad.

“The penalty imposed on Mr Vigliotti will hopefully serve to highlight to others the importance of taking this risk seriously and ensuring they protect their workers from this risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal Officer Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Man fell through fragile roof light.
• He had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming impaled.
• HSE guidance about working at height is available.

Two companies have been fined after a man fell through a fragile rooflight at a factory in Keighley, impaling his leg on machinery below.

A.T. Lee Properties Limited and LJH Property Limited were fined a combined total of more than £95,000 following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Directors for each firm were also given conditional discharges and ordered to pay prosecution costs.

The man suffered leg injuries after falling at Cirteq Ltd, Hayfield Mills, Colne Road, Glusburn in Keighley, on 8 July 2022.

He had been over-cladding an existing asbestos cement roof with two other operatives when he stepped onto a fragile rooflight, causing him to fall through and narrowly miss a machine operator working below. Firefighters were called to assist in rescuing the worker, who had landed on machinery, impaling his leg. Despite the horrific circumstances, he sustained relatively minor injuries.

The HSE investigation found that principal contractor A.T. Lee Properties Limited failed to ensure the works were properly planned, and that neither they nor their sub-contractor, LJH Property Limited, had effective preventative and protective measures in place to control the risks associated with roof work. They also failed to ensure that the correct equipment and tools were in place to undertake the work safely.

Sub-contractor LJH Property Limited failed to properly plan, supervise, or ensure the work was carried out safely, and its assessment of the risks arising from the work was both unsuitable and insufficient.

HSE has guidance for those planning work at height and how it can be carried out safely, including the preventative measures required is available. Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Further guidance is available for those undertaking the role of a Principal Contractor – Principal contractors: roles and responsibilities – HSE.

A.T. Lee Properties Limited, of Leardene House, Draughton, Skipton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £47,783 and ordered to pay £2,386 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 1 October 2025.

Company director Neil Cryer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act. He received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £2,369 in costs.

LJH Property Limited, of  Moorfield Drive, Baildon, Shipley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Act. The company was fined £47,818 and ordered to pay £2,518 in costs.

Company director Luke Hudson pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act. He received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £2,369 in costs.

HSE principal inspector Paul Thompson, who investigated the incident, said:

“People working on the roof and those working below within the factory were placed at serious risk. Had the man landed just a short distance either side of where he was impaled, this could have been a wholly different outcome.

“Work at height continues to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities, and had this work been planned, managed, and monitored to a sufficient standard by all parties involved, then this incident should not have occurred.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Jonathan Bambro, supported by HSE Paralegal Officer Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Workers put at risk of serious injury.
• Inspector slams contractor for showing “complete contempt” for workers’ safety
• HSE guidance is available on safe working from height and demolition.

A London contractor has been given a suspended prison sentence after risking the lives of workers and ignoring action taken by Britain’s workplace regulator.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ordered Mohammed Mehdi Ali to stop working at a construction site in Willesden on 7 September 2018. Inspectors visited the Willesden Lane site and found unplanned, unsupervised and unsafe work was putting people at serious risk of injury.

Workers had been identified working on the roof area where they were at serious risk of falling from a height as no measures to protect them were in place. Unplanned and unsafe demolition work had also left the building structure at risk of collapse.

Despite the prohibition notice being served against him, Mr Ali ignored it and the work continued as before, putting the lives of those working on the site at risk. Mr Ali, of Barn Hill in Wembley, also failed to turn up at court to face justice in 2021 and as a result a warrant was issued for his arrest. It was only thanks to intelligence from the local community that the police arrested him and the court proceedings could finally resume. He has now been given a suspended 20-week custodial sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Not only did the HSE investigation find that Mr Ali disregarded the prohibition notice, but also that he failed to put in place measures to ensure the health and safety of people at his construction site.

The law requires employers to carry out their legal duty to protect persons’ health and safety at the workplace by ensuring that construction work is adequately planned, managed, and monitored and appropriately supervised.

Falls from height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height. In law, demolition work is treated the same as any other construction work. Workers must be supervised and follow safe working practices. HSE guidance on demolition is available.

Mr Ali pleaded guilty to committing an offence under s33(1)(g) of HSWA by breaching a prohibition notice and continuing to carry on the work without suitable and sufficient measures in place thereby exposing his workers to serious risk of personal injury. He was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work as well as 10 days of rehabilitation. He was also ordered to pay £12,151 in costs at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

HSE inspector Saif Deen said: “Mr Ali not only ignored HSE and the criminal justice system, he showed complete contempt for the safety of workers.

“The law requires employees to ensure the health and safety of persons at their workplace. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that everyone on a building site is safe.

“We will not hesitate to take action against those who fail to comply with HSE enforcement and continue to put their workers at risk.

“Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace death and injury.

“We would like to thank the local community for ensuring justice was done, which helps to keep people safe.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer David Shore.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England can be found here and those for Scotland here.

• Man fell from height due to lack of edge protection.
• Second time HSE action against sole trader.
• HSE guidance on working safely at height is available.

A worker suffered serious injuries after falling from a flat roof that did not have any edge protection.

A sole trader has been fined following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

It was the second time Gary Smith, trading as GJ Smith Roofing, had failed to provide edge protection on a job, with HSE previously taking enforcement action against him.

Smith pleaded guilty following the incident on 15 December 2022, when a team of roofers and labourers were working on his behalf, replacing a flat roof on a house in the Luton area.

At around 11am, one of the workers was carrying large wooden boards across the roof, when he inadvertently stepped off the edge of the roof falling a distance of about 10 feet. He suffered a fractured vertebrate in his back and a broken ankle.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height.

The HSE investigation found the task had not been properly risk assessed and planned which meant that edge protection around the flat roof had not been put in place, despite it being reasonably practicable to do so.  Following HSE intervention, edge protection was installed before work re-commenced.

Gary Smith of Watling Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 4(1) of the Work At Height Regulations 2005.  He was fined £2,125 and ordered to pay costs of £5,445 at a hearing at Luton & South Bedfordshire Magistrates’ Court on 29 July 2025.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “Clearly Mr Smith hadn’t learnt from his previous failures.

“Sadly, this latest offence resulted in a man being seriously injured.

“What makes this incident even more frustrating is the fact it could so easily have been avoided by properly planning the task and ensuring that suitable edge protection had been put in place prior to work starting.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.
5. HSE guidance about working safely on roofs is available.