Jerram Falkus Construction Limited has been fined £40,200 following the death of a 19-year-old labourer who fell down a ventilation shaft on a London building site.
Renols Lleshi was assisting with scaffolding dismantling on the 12th-floor roof garden of a block of flats at the Ark Soane Academy site, Mill Hill Road, London W3, on 5 July 2023. As he stepped onto a ventilation shaft, the covering gave way and he fell six floors to his death.
A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the shaft had been covered only by a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam. Routine inspections did not include the roof garden area, leaving the inadequate covering undetected and the scaffolding team unaware of the hazard.
HSE guidance on working at height states that employers should carry out as much work as possible from the ground, ensure safe access and egress, and use equipment that is suitable, stable, strong and properly maintained. Those responsible for work at height must ensure tasks are planned, supervised, and carried out by competent personnel using appropriate equipment.
Jerram Falkus pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £42,200, given a £2,000 surcharge, and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs at City of London Magistrates Court on 18 March 2026.
HSE inspector Natalie Prince said: “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man. My thoughts are with Renols’ family and friends.”
