3rd June 2026

Construction Company Fined Over Fall From Height

A Manchester-based mechanical and engineering construction company has been fined following a serious incident in which a joiner fell through an unsecured skylight opening while working on a domestic property in Altrincham.

What happened?

The worker had been subcontracted by JLM Solutions Limited to construct the timber frame for a new roof. On 22 November 2023, he stepped onto a sheet of unsecured plyboard placed over roof‑light openings. The board gave way, causing him to fall through the opening. His son, the only other person on site at the time, called emergency services. The injured worker was taken to hospital with multiple traumatic injuries, including a head injury, fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and a complete spinal cord injury. He is now paralysed from the waist down.

Investigation

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that JLM Solutions Limited, acting as principal contractor, failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work. Investigators identified a lack of suitable fall‑prevention measures, inadequate equipment, and insufficient site supervision. HSE guidance stresses that effective management of health and safety is essential to the successful delivery of construction projects. Principal contractors must ensure that all work at height is properly planned and that subcontractors have appropriate preventative and protective measures in place.

Outcome

JLM Solutions Limited, of Elliott Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £5,850 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 26 May 2026.

HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: “Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury. The risks are well known throughout the construction industry. This prosecution highlights the importance of properly managing work‑at‑height activities. Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as a safe working platform combined with appropriate supervision, this incident would not have occurred and the worker would not have sustained these significant life‑changing injuries.”