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PHW · Roofing · 2026-08-06

Len Smith & Son Building Contractors Limited fined £20,000 after a bricklayer fell through a fragile roof sheet

Seahouses, Northumberland · North Tyneside Magistrates Court

What happened

On 5 February 2025 a bricklayer fell through a polycarbonate roof sheet while conducting repairs at a farm in Seahouses, dropping approximately eight feet to concrete below. Suitable precautions for working on a fragile roof had not been taken.

Injuries: Two broken vertebrae and a fractured sternum requiring surgery.

The breach

Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The sentence

  • Fine: £20,000
  • Costs: £5,744
HSE inspector

“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 31 people losing their lives in the past year.”

What would have prevented it

Work on a roof with polycarbonate sheets needs a risk assessment and a safe system of work before anyone steps onto it; HSE found neither was in place, and expects work at height to be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.

How PHW helps

The machines, packs and quizzes that fit this kind of site.

Sector

Roofing: show who is trained, on the day

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Safety pack

Working at height

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Quiz

Could you show a client today, in writing, that everyone who goes on a roof for you is trained and authorised to be there?

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Source: HSE press release, Building contractor fined after employee fell through a fragile roof