A simple job, easy money. But then a moment’s slip, a four-metre plunge and a bone snapped in two. All because a company thought safety was optional.
It was back in December 2022 that a 23-year-old worker fell from a roof in Salisbury, breaking his femur while adjusting a solar panel. His employer, EE Renewables Limited, had been hired to move nine solar panels higher up on the roof, and what should have been a straightforward job turned into a disaster. No scaffolding was used, no edge protection, and no supervision. He lost his footing just for a second and slammed into the ground below.
The Cost Of Cutting Corners
The Health and Safety Executive investigated and the recently published findings were damning. EE Renewables had failed to plan the job properly. No safeguards were in place to stop a fall, despite the clear risks of carrying out that work at height. The result of this money-saving corner cutting? A fine of £120,000, plus £4,716 in legal costs, handed down by Swindon Magistrates’ Court in December 2024.
Inspector Sam Applebee didn’t mince his words, saying: “EE Renewables Limited did not properly plan this work so it could be carried out in a safe manner. There were inadequate means of protecting the workers from falling off the roof, with the company failing to provide edge protection.”
The False Economy Of Skipping Safety
The reasons why proper safety measures weren’t in place is the same old story. Money. Time. Laziness. This was a domestic job, just a quick in-and-out contract, and thus there was no dedicated health and safety officer on site. With no strict enforcement like on large commercial projects, companies can get complacent and it’s the same tired logic. Scaffolding? Too expensive. Supervision? Not worth the hassle. Edge protection? We’ll just be extra careful.
The company tried to save a few thousand pounds, and ended up losing over £120,000 instead. Meanwhile, their worker endured agonising pain and a long recovery, and possible permanent damage.
Edge Protection Isn’t Optional
This isn’t an isolated incident. Edge protection is consistently ignored on short term residential projects. Workers are left to balance on sloping, slippery roofs, trusting nothing but the grip on their boots. Yet the reality is stark, with falls from height remaining one of the leading causes of serious injury and death in the UK.
And it’s not bad luck and it’s not unavoidable. It’s pure negligence.
A Warning To The Industry
This case is a warning to every contractor, every employer and every site manager who thinks they can skip safety on small jobs. No job is ever too small for implementing the correct safety measures, and next time it might be a fatal fall. For EE Renewables, the lesson came at a six-figure cost. For their worker, the price was far worse.
To find out more about edge protection and the best practices for completing work at height, contact Ability International today.
Image source: Canva