A construction company in Manchester has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a joiner fell through an unprotected skylight opening.

Adam Kirkpatrick had been subcontracted by JLM Solutions Ltd to construct the timber frame for a new roof at a domestic property in Altrincham.

On 22 November 2023, the 53-year-old was walking across a piece of plyboard that had been placed over the rooflight openings in the roof structure. The board had not been secured and gave way beneath him, causing him to fall.

Kirkpatrick’s son was the only other person present on site at the time of the incident, after the rest of the workforce had left for the day. He called an ambulance, and his father was taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered multiple injuries, including a head injury, fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and a complete spinal cord injury. He is now paralysed from the waist down.

“I have worked in the construction industry since leaving school. I loved my job,” Kirkpatrick said. “The accident has impacted my health. I have no feeling below my belly button, I suffer with severe nerve pain and have to self-catheterise.”

Failure to plan, manage and monitor

An investigation by the HSE found that JLM Solutions, acting as the principal contractor, failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work.

The company did not ensure suitable measures and equipment were in place to prevent or protect against falls from height, and there was a lack of adequate site supervision during the work.

HSE guidance states that principal contractors have an important role in managing the risks of construction work and they must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and ensure subcontractors have effective preventative and protective measures in place, alongside appropriate supervision.

Commenting on the case, 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.

“Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as a safe working platform combined with appropriate supervision, this incident would not have occurred and Mr Kirkpatrick would not have sustained these significant life-changing injuries.”