What happened?

A construction company has been fined after a worker died following a fall through an unprotected skylight opening during roofing work.

According to HSE, the incident happened while roofing works were being carried out at a domestic property. The worker fell approximately 2.5 metres through a skylight opening onto a concrete floor below and later died from severe injuries.

HSE found there were no physical measures in place around the skylight opening or roof edges to prevent falls.

The regulator also stated there were no measures to reduce the distance or impact of a fall if one occurred.

The lesson is straightforward:

Falls from height are predictable risks, not unexpected accidents.

Why this matters to businesses

Many businesses still underestimate skylights and fragile roof surfaces.

Workers often assume skylights are safe to stand on or walk near.

They are not.

Skylights and roof openings remain one of the most common causes of fatal falls in the UK construction and maintenance sectors.

This risk affects far more than roofing companies.

The same danger exists during:

• Maintenance works
• FM inspections
• Solar panel installation
• Cleaning works
• Warehouse repairs
• HVAC servicing
• Roof surveys
• Estate management works
• Public sector maintenance projects

The biggest issue is often poor planning.

Common failures include:

• Missing edge protection
• Uncovered openings
• Weak supervision
• Unsafe access routes
• Poor contractor coordination
• RAMS not followed properly
• Lack of exclusion zones
• Insufficient competence checks
• Late night or rushed work

Many incidents happen during “quick jobs” or reactive maintenance.

That is exactly when controls are most likely to fail.

Who Is Affected?

SMEs

Small businesses often rely on informal supervision and experienced workers.

But experience does not remove the risk of a fragile roof or unprotected opening.

Medium Businesses

Medium sized organisations frequently manage multiple contractors and sites.

Consistency becomes the challenge.

They should standardise work-at-height controls and contractor assurance processes across all projects.

Large Businesses

Large organisations need evidence-led oversight.

Senior management should know:

• Where work at height risks exist
• Which contractors are involved
• Whether inspections are happening
• Whether corrective actions are closed

Multinationals

Multinationals face major reputational and governance exposure if contractors suffer fatal incidents on their sites.

Global standards and visible operational assurance both matter.

Contractors

Contractors must ensure work-at-height activities are properly planned, supervised and controlled before work begins.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors should never work near skylights or roof openings without proper protection, safe access and clear supervision.

Public Sector

Public-sector organisations manage schools, depots, offices, housing, healthcare estates and contractor-heavy projects.

They should expect suppliers to evidence:

• RAMS
• Training
• Competence
• Edge protection
• Inspection records
• Supervision
• Work at height controls

Practical Actions Businesses Should Take Now

1. Review all work at height risks

Include roofs, skylights, fragile surfaces and temporary access works.

2. Check physical protections

Use guardrails, covers, barriers, crash decks or netting where required.

3. Improve contractor assurance

Do not rely only on paperwork. Check controls are actually in place on site.

4. Review RAMS quality

RAMS should reflect the real task, environment and access risks.

5. Strengthen supervision

Work at height activities should be monitored, especially during reactive or out-of-hours works.

6. Improve competence checks

Workers should understand fragile roofs, skylight risks and emergency procedures.

7. Use exclusion zones

Keep people away from dangerous areas below roof works.

8. Audit operational reality

Inspect live working conditions, not just documentation.

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
• ISO 45001 internal audits
• Facilities management compliance 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 aim is practical:

• Safer projects
• Better supervision
• Stronger 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.