Principal Contractor Fined After Joiner Suffers Life-Changing Fall Through Unsecured Skylight

A Manchester-based mechanical and engineering construction company has been fined after a subcontractor suffered life-changing injuries when he fell through a skylight opening during a domestic roofing project in Altrincham.

On 22 November 2023, 53-year-old joiner Adam Kirkpatrick was working on a timber frame for a new roof when he stepped onto a piece of plyboard. The board, which had been placed over a roof light opening, had not been secured. It gave way beneath him, causing him to fall from height.

Mr Kirkpatrick was discovered by his son, who was the only other person left on the site at the time. He suffered multiple severe injuries, including a head injury, fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, and a complete spinal cord injury. The incident has left him permanently paralysed from the waist down.

HSE Investigation Findings

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed significant failures in project oversight by the principal contractor, JLM Solutions Limited.

The regulator found that the company failed to:

• Plan, manage, and monitor the roof work effectively;

• Ensure suitable measures and equipment were in place to prevent or protect workers against falls from height; and

• Provide adequate site supervision during the construction phase.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), principal contractors hold a statutory duty to ensure that subcontractors implement effective preventative and protective measures, backed by appropriate supervision.he safeguarding community is calling this a "deeply worrying emerging threat," and official guidance has been issued to help UK schools protect their pupils from AI-driven sextortion.

The Human Cost

In a poignant statement, Mr Kirkpatrick reflected on how the incident has devastated his family and stripped away his independence:

"I have worked in the construction industry since leaving school. I loved my job. I have always been able to provide for my family... This all changed due to the accident. It has gone from me being provider for the family to having to rely on other people.

This accident has impacted my health. I have no feeling below my belly button, I suffer with severe nerve pain and have to self-catheter. Only for the NHS I wouldn’t be here today — they have saved my life."

His wife, Julie Kirkpatrick, added that their dreams for retirement and enjoying time with their grandchildren had been "shattered" by the incident.

Court Ruling and Penalties

Appearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 26 May 2026, JLM Solutions Limited, of Elliott Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

The company was ordered to pay:

• Fine: £8,000;

• Costs: £5,850; and

• Victim Surcharge: £2,000

Industry Lessons: Managing Work at Height

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Karen Farley emphasised that the incident was entirely preventable:

"Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury. The risks are well known throughout the construction industry.

This prosecution highlights the importance of properly managing work at height activities. Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as a safe working platform combined with appropriate supervision, this incident would not have occurred and Mr Kirkpatrick would not have sustained these significant life-changing injuries."