Norman Iveson Steel Products, a construction company, was fined following a serious incident on October 11, 2022, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The incident involved a worker, Jack Croft, aged 30, who sustained life-altering injuries after falling through a fragile roof light while working on a sheep barn extension project.
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During the installation of roof sheets to bridge the gap between the existing and new roof sections, Mr Croft, from Bedale, stepped onto a roof light that broke under his weight. This caused him to fall approximately six metres, resulting in severe injuries. Among the injuries sustained were five cranial fractures, ten fractured ribs, a cranial bleed, hearing loss, fractures to his spine, eye socket, cheek, wrist, and shoulder, a collapsed left lung, and a pulmonary embolism.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Norman Iveson Steel Products had failed to implement essential working-at-height control measures, including the installation of safety netting, to prevent falls in the work area.
On May 22, 2025, Norman Iveson Steel Products Limited, based in Hill Crest, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. As a result, the company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,101.
Furthermore, Phillip Iveson, a director of the company, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He was subsequently fined £1,822 and ordered to pay costs of £2,358.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gavin Carruthers said, “This was a tragic incident where a young man narrowly escaped death but received life-changing injuries. Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace death in Great Britain, and this incident was fully avoidable if steps had been taken to address the risks.”
This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.
