Introduction
Despite being one of the most well-known workplace hazards, falls through fragile roofs continue to result in serious injuries and fatalities across the UK. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regularly prosecute businesses that fail to properly plan and control roof work, with recent enforcement action highlighting the devastating consequences that can occur when fragile surfaces are not identified and protected.
Whether carrying out repairs, maintenance, surveys, cleaning, or replacing rooflights, employers must recognise that many roofs cannot safely support a person's weight and require carefully planned control measures.
Incident and Enforcement Overview
In June 2026, a Lancashire business owner received a suspended prison sentence after a worker suffered life-changing injuries following a fall through a fragile roof during skylight replacement works. The worker fell through a rooflight while carrying out work on a farm building and was airlifted to hospital, requiring multiple surgical procedures and suffering numerous fractures and serious lung injuries.
HSE's investigation found that the worker had been instructed to walk across the fragile roof surface without suitable precautions in place. No crawling boards, safety netting, or other measures had been implemented to prevent a fall through the roof. The employer pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and also admitted failing to hold Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance. He received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, alongside unpaid work and costs.
Why the Risk is So Serious
Many industrial, agricultural and commercial buildings contain fragile roof elements that can deteriorate over time or may never have been designed to support foot traffic.
Common fragile surfaces include:
Rooflights and skylights
Fibre cement sheets
Corroded metal sheeting
Plastic roof panels
Fragile liners beneath roofing materials
A person stepping onto a fragile surface may have little or no warning before it fails beneath them. Falls through roofs frequently result in serious injuries, including fractures, spinal injuries, internal injuries and fatalities.
The risk is often increased when work is undertaken by contractors unfamiliar with the roof construction or when access arrangements have not been properly assessed.
What Does the Law Require?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to:
Avoid work at height where reasonably practicable
Properly plan and supervise roof work
Assess the condition of roofs before work begins
Prevent falls wherever possible
Use suitable equipment and protective measures
Ensure workers are competent and appropriately trained
Where fragile materials are present, employers must take additional precautions to prevent anyone falling through them.
Key Control Measures
Controls for work on fragile roofs include:
Avoiding the need to access fragile surfaces wherever possible
Using mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) where suitable
Installing safe working platforms
Using crawling boards or roof ladders
Providing edge protection
Installing safety nets beneath the work area
Clearly marking fragile areas
Implementing permit-to-work arrangements for roof access
Ensuring suitable supervision and contractor management
No one should be allowed to work on or near a fragile roof unless suitable controls have been implemented following a thorough risk assessment.
Regulatory Focus and Inspections
Falls from height continue to be a significant enforcement priority for HSE. Inspectors routinely review roof work activities, contractor management arrangements, risk assessments, and work-at-height procedures during inspections.
Where businesses fail to adequately control risks associated with fragile roofs, enforcement action can range from Improvement and Prohibition Notices through to prosecution and imprisonment in the most serious cases.
The recent prosecution demonstrates that HSE will take action not only where control measures are absent, but also where broader legal duties, such as insurance requirements, have been ignored.
Summary
The latest prosecution reinforces a message that HSE has consistently delivered for many years: fragile roofs kill and seriously injure workers every year, yet these incidents are often entirely preventable.
Employers must ensure all roof work is carefully planned, fragile surfaces are identified, and appropriate protection measures are implemented before work begins. Failure to do so places workers at significant risk and can result in severe legal, financial and reputational consequences.
