What happened?
A roofing company has been fined after a worker suffered life changing injuries following a fall through an unprotected loft hatch during roofing works.
According to HSE, the worker fractured his back after falling through the opening and has been unable to return to work. The regulator found there were inadequate measures in place to prevent falls through the loft hatch.
Falls from height remain one of the biggest causes of workplace deaths and serious injuries in the UK.
Yet many incidents still involve simple, predictable failures:
- Unprotected openings
- Missing barriers
- Weak supervision
- Poor planning
- RAMS not followed in practice
The lesson is straightforward:
If people are working near openings or fragile areas, physical protection must be in place before work starts.
Why this matters to businesses
Many organisations think work-at-height risks only affect large construction sites.
That is wrong.
The same risks exist during:
- Roof repairs
- FM maintenance
- Building inspections
- Solar installation
- HVAC works
- Electrical works
- Warehouse maintenance
- School estate repairs
- Public sector maintenance projects
One unprotected opening can lead to a fatal or life changing incident within seconds.
The biggest issue is often complacency.
Teams become familiar with the environment.
Tasks are seen as “routine”.
Short-duration work is treated as low risk.
That is exactly when controls fail.
Common problems include:
- Poor contractor coordination
- Missing edge protection
- Unsafe access routes
- Weak site inspections
- Inadequate supervision
- Poor communication
- Incomplete RAMS
- Lack of exclusion zones
These are management failures, not unavoidable accidents.
Who Is Affected?
SMEs
Small businesses often rely heavily on experienced workers and informal supervision.
But experience does not remove work-at-height risks.
SMEs should focus on simple physical controls and visible supervision.
Medium Businesses
Medium sized organisations usually manage multiple sites and contractors.
Their challenge is consistency across projects and maintenance works.
Large Businesses
Large organisations need evidence led oversight.
Senior management should know:
- Where work at height activities are happening
- Which contractors are involved
- Whether inspections are completed
- Whether corrective actions are closed
Multinationals
Multinationals face significant reputational and governance exposure after serious contractor incidents.
Group wide standards and operational assurance both matter.
Contractors
Contractors must ensure work at height activities are properly planned, supervised and physically controlled before work starts.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors should never work near openings, loft hatches or fragile areas without suitable protection and clear supervision.
Public Sector
Public-sector organisations manage schools, housing, depots, offices and healthcare estates with regular contractor activity.
They should expect suppliers to evidence:
- RAMS
- Competence
- Training
- Supervision
- Physical controls
- Inspection records
- Corrective action tracking
Practical Actions Businesses Should Take Now
1. Identify all work at height risks
Include loft hatches, roof openings, fragile surfaces and temporary access works.
2. Install physical protection
Use barriers, covers, guardrails or other protective measures before work begins.
3. Review contractor controls
Do not rely only on paperwork. Check protections are physically in place on site.
4. Improve RAMS quality
RAMS should reflect the actual task and environment, not generic wording.
5. Strengthen supervision
Monitor live work activities, especially during short-duration or reactive works.
6. Improve inspections
Carry out regular operational inspections rather than relying on assumptions.
7. Use exclusion zones
Protect people below work at height activities where falling objects or falls could occur.
8. Escalate unsafe conditions immediately
Unprotected openings should trigger immediate stop-work action.
How TPMG Can Help
TPMG supports organisations with practical operational safety and contractor assurance.
Relevant TPMG services include:
- Health & safety consultancy
- Work at height compliance reviews
- Contractor and subcontractor assurance
- RAMS reviews
- Facilities management audits
- ISO 45001 internal audits
- Operational inspections
- Construction safety oversight
- Training and competence reviews
- Corrective action planning
- Public sector supplier assurance
TPMG helps organisations move from reactive compliance to visible operational control and evidence-led assurance.
The goal is practical:
- Safer projects
- Stronger supervision
- Better evidence
- Fewer preventable incidents
Need confidence that your work at height controls, contractor oversight, RAMS and operational inspections are strong enough?
Speak to TPMG about health & safety consultancy, operational compliance audits, contractor assurance and ISO 45001 support.
