£120k fine for company as worker breaks leg in fall

  • Safe Working Practices
workplace injury

Peninsula Team, Peninsula Team

(Last updated )

A solar energy company has been fined £120,000 after an incident in Salisbury where an employee broke his leg.

The employee (23) of EE Renewables Limited had been working on the roof of a house on Sherfield English Road. The company had been hired by the homeowner to move nine solar panels higher up on the roof.

The man was adjusting a solar panel when he slid and fell four metres to the ground below. The impact broke his femur bone.

Investigating the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found EE Renewables Limited had not properly planned the work at height and failed to take suitable steps to prevent a fall.

EE Renewables Limited, of Salterns Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,716 in costs at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 23 December 2024.

HSE Inspector Sam Applebee commented on the case:

“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.

“Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of injuries and fatalities in Britain, so it is important that companies ensure they implement the correct control measures and safe working practices.”

Visit BrAInbox today where you can find answers to questions like Are rigging nets required when working on roofs?

Related articles

  • Blog

    Ask Gavin: How can I prevent food contamination in my workplace?

    This anonymous employer was worried about food contamination risks in their workplace. So they asked Gavin Scarr Hall, Peninsula’s Director of Health & Safety, for expert advice.

    Gavin Scarr-Hall - Director of Health & Safety at Peninsula
    Gavin Scarr HallDirector of Health and Safety
    • Food Safety
  • Blog

    Supporting financial wellbeing

    Supporting employee wellbeing should be a focal point of all businesses, and not just where it has been impacted by work. Employees may require support for a wide variety of reasons, some more obvious than others. These could include mental health issues, financial worries, addiction, divorce, fertility issues, menopause, domestic abuse, health concerns, family problems, and many more. Whilst the law may influence how employees are supported with some of these areas, for others, it is down to the individual business.

    Peninsula Logo
    Peninsula TeamPeninsula Team
    • Occupational Health and Wellbeing
  • Blog

    Ask Gavin: Is asbestos in my building? Help!

    This anonymous employer was worried about asbestos risks in a building their staff were refurbishing. So they asked Gavin Scarr Hall, Peninsula’s Director of Health & Safety, for expert advice.

    Gavin Scarr-Hall - Director of Health & Safety at Peninsula
    Gavin Scarr HallDirector of Health and Safety
    • Safe Working Practices

Try Brainbox for free today

When AI meets 40 years of Peninsula expertise... you get instant, expert answers to your HR and health & safety questions

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the latest news & tips that matter most to your business in our monthly newsletter.