--- title: Failure to Follow Height Safety Rules Lead to Worker’s Fatal Fall description: Learn how ignoring work at height safety rules led to a tragic fall. 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David Clover, 64, was working for Ecclesiastical Steeplejacks Ltd when he suffered fatal injuries on 13 November 2020. Suspended 60 metres above the ground in a bosun’s chair at St Nicolas’ Church in Kings Norton, he fell due to a lack of a proper backup system. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that his chair was not supported by a twin-leg lanyard or any other fall arrest system. [![Request A Quote](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/7885436/interactive-190412425768.png)](https://www.abilityint.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLun2PBmt7u8TzuewVSFRUaAib%2BspMec6NsIK2dr8QLaFguCy%2FmdLMPBi4XkaA4tQp%2BGOeRVnAcOhGngwsOZgJSJLsfaPy8Vr7U%2Flo7OeSPx3FdBLntB9RrGFXy%2FhwPb9zxUxUz%2Fu6Ohx2mfgTKpOuJLFyw4KSYC6tn9vqp4piVG8SME9iAEtt6&webInteractiveContentId=190412425768&portalId=7885436) Ecclesiastical Steeplejacks has since ceased trading, after having pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £60,000 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 15 January 2025. Judge Quereshi noted that the company had ‘outdated attitudes’ toward health and safety, which is something of an understatement when those attitudes cost a man his life. ## A Preventable Death A proper fall arrest system could have saved David Clover. Instead, safety standards were ignored and a worker lost his life. A fine of £60,000 is insignificant compared to the devastation this has caused. His family will never see him again. His friends and colleagues will always know that his death could have been prevented. Those who worked with him may now question their own safety, wondering if they, too, were left unprotected. This case is a stark reminder that [**working at height**](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/something-goes-wrong-with-work-at-height) is one of the most dangerous jobs in Britain. HSE statistics show that 50 people died from falls in 2023-2024 alone. It is a leading cause of workplace fatalities, yet some companies still fail to take it seriously. ## Training Must Keep Up with Changing Standards One of the key issues in this case was the company’s obvious failure to evolve. Regulations and safety practices change over time, but when businesses do not keep up with new standards, workers are put at risk. Training is not a one-time event. Workers and supervisors must regularly refresh their knowledge. Without this, safety procedures become outdated and people forget essential precautions. A company that neglects ongoing training is gambling with lives, and Ecclesiastical Steeplejacks gambled with and lost a man’s life. ## The Cost of Cutting Corners Some employers avoid extra safety measures because they see them as unnecessary expenses. But the real cost of neglecting safety is far greater. In this case, the company is now shut down, fined, and publicly shamed. More importantly, a man is dead. His family will never recover from this loss. No fine can make up for that. This tragedy should serve as a warning.[**Employers must prioritise safety**](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/what-the-construction-industry-can-learn-from-falls-from-height) over convenience. If they do not, it is only a matter of time before another worker pays the price. ***To find out more about regular training for work at height, [contact Ability International today](https://www.abilityint.com/contact).*** ***[![Working-at-Height-Guide-LONG-CTA.1](https://www.abilityint.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Working-at-Height-Guide-LONG-CTA.1.webp?width=691&height=269&name=Working-at-Height-Guide-LONG-CTA.1.webp)](https://www.abilityint.com/working-at-height-guide)*** - Recent - Topics - Archive Recent Topics - [Working At Height (70)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/working-at-height) - [injuries at work (23)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/injuries-at-work) - [Working at heights (22)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/working-at-heights) - [Work At Height Equipment (21)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/work-at-height-equipment) - [desksurfer (20)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/desksurfer) - [Working At Height Equipment (16)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/working-at-height-equipment) - [Health & Safety (10)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/health-safety) - [access platform (7)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/access-platform) - [Scaffold tower hire (6)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/scaffold-tower-hire) - [injuries (4)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/injuries) - [Rent a scaffold tower (3)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/rent-a-scaffold-tower) - [Scaffold tower for sale (3)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/scaffold-tower-for-sale) - [Work At Height Violation (3)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/work-at-height-violation) - [work related injuries (3)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/work-related-injuries) - [Chimney Access (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/chimney-access) - [Scaffold tower lease (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/scaffold-tower-lease) - [Servicing Work Equipment (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/servicing-work-equipment) - [case studies (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/case-studies) - [scary facts (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/scary-facts) See all Archive - [August 2026 (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/08) - [July 2026 (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/07) - [June 2026 (4)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/06) - [May 2026 (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/05) - [April 2026 (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/04) - [January 2026 (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2026/01) - [December 2025 (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2025/12) - [November 2025 (1)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2025/11) - [August 2025 (109)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2025/08) - [May 2025 (2)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2025/05) - [April 2025 (3)](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/archive/2025/04) See all ### Subscribe by email Share this [Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://www.abilityint.com/blog/failure-to-follow-height-safety-rules-lead-to-workers-fatal-fall&text=Failure+to+Follow+Height+Safety+Rules+Lead+to+Worker%26rsquo%3Bs+Fatal+Fall) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.abilityint.com/blog/failure-to-follow-height-safety-rules-lead-to-workers-fatal-fall&t=Failure+to+Follow+Height+Safety+Rules+Lead+to+Worker%26rsquo%3Bs+Fatal+Fall) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.abilityint.com/blog/failure-to-follow-height-safety-rules-lead-to-workers-fatal-fall&t=Failure+to+Follow+Height+Safety+Rules+Lead+to+Worker%26rsquo%3Bs+Fatal+Fall) Previous story [← Three Health and Safety Work-at-Height Violations We See Out And About](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/most-common-health-and-safety-work-at-height-violations) Next story [How a Digital Two Way Radio System Can Strengthen Work-at-Height Control Measures →](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/work-at-height-safety-two-way-radio-systems) ## You May Also Like These Related Stories [How Heat Fatigue Increases the Risk of Falls From Height?](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/work-at-height-heat-fatigue-risks) ![Worker performing Work At Height tasks while wearing safety equipment in a hot outdoor working environment.](https://www.abilityint.com/hubfs/workers-repairing-rooftop-equipment-above-the-city-2026-03-19-09-30-01-utc.jpg) [Working At Height](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/working-at-height) ### How Heat Fatigue Increases the Risk of Falls From Height? Jun 11, 2026, 11:00:00 AM 4 min read [Working At Height Solutions: Your Guide To Preventing Falls](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/working-at-height-solutions-guide-to-preventing-accidental-fall) ![Working At Height Solutions: Guide To Preventing Accidental Fall](https://www.abilityint.com/hubfs/Images/Capture-24.webp) ### Working At Height Solutions: Your Guide To Preventing Falls Aug 22, 2025, 11:38:54 AM 2 min read [Three Health and Safety Work-at-Height Violations We See Out And About](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/most-common-health-and-safety-work-at-height-violations) ![Construction worker climbing scaffolding and committing a height safety violation whilst working at height.](https://www.abilityint.com/hubfs/Images/Three-Health-and-Safety-Work-At-Height-Violations-We-See-Out-And-About.webp) [Working At Height](https://www.abilityint.com/blog/tag/working-at-height) ### Three Health and Safety Work-at-Height Violations We See Out And About Aug 22, 2025, 11:43:57 AM 2 min read ### Get Email Notifications #### [![Ability International Logo](https://www.abilityint.com/hubfs/Ability%20International%20Logo.svg)](https://www.abilityint.com/) Since 1987, Ability has been crafting innovative solutions for elevated work environments. 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