Lessons learned · HSE-2026-003
Fragile garage roof gave way with no fall prevention in place
A 19-year-old worker died after falling through a fragile garage roof during demolition work where no measures had been taken to prevent or mitigate a fall. The contractor responsible for the work was jailed for 12 months.
Published by the Institute · reviewed
What happened
A young worker was carrying out demolition of a garage structure when the roof he was working on or near gave way beneath him, causing a fatal fall. The investigation found no edge protection, no fall restraint or arrest system, and no assessment of the roof's fragility had been carried out before work began. There was no evidence of planning to identify the risks of working at height on or near a fragile surface, nor any system to keep workers away from the danger area until safe access could be confirmed. The worker had not been given adequate training or supervision for the task he was undertaking. The investigation concluded that basic, well-established control measures for fragile roof work were entirely absent, and that the fatality was foreseeable and preventable. The case resulted in a custodial sentence for the person responsible for organising the work, reflecting the severity of the failings identified.
Contributing factors
- No fall prevention or mitigation measures
- Fragile roof not identified or assessed
- Inadequate supervision of young worker
- No pre-task planning for work at height
What to take from it
- Treat all roofs as fragile until proven otherwise by survey.
- Provide edge protection, fall arrest or fall restraint before any work at height begins.
- Never allow young or inexperienced workers to work at height without direct supervision.
- Plan and document how fragile surfaces will be identified, avoided or protected.
- Stop work immediately if fall prevention measures are not in place.