PHW

Home / Real cases / A self-employed landscaping and building contractor near Preesall

PHW · Working at height · 2026-06-16

A self-employed landscaping and building contractor near Preesall sentenced after an employee fell through a fragile roof light

Preesall, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire · Warrington Magistrates' Court

What happened

An uninsured business owner instructed an employee to replace skylights on a farm outbuilding roof without any safety control measures. The employee fell through a fragile roof light to the ground below.

Injuries: Two lung operations, collarbone surgery and multiple bone fractures; now unable to walk long distances with restricted arm movement

The breach

Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005; Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969

The sentence

  • Costs: £700
  • Other sentence: 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, plus 260 hours unpaid work
HSE inspector

“Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in UK workplaces.”

What would have prevented it

Fragile roofs need proper edge protection and access equipment, not ad hoc instructions to climb straight onto them.

How PHW helps

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

Sector

Training and H&S evidence for construction sites

View →
Safety pack

Working at height

View →
Quiz

Could you show a site manager today, in writing, that each operator is authorised to use your machines?

View →

Source: HSE press release, Uninsured business owner sentenced after man fell through roof