{"id":538319,"date":"2026-02-17T12:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=538319"},"modified":"2026-02-17T09:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:54:17","slug":"firm-fined-24000-over-fall-from-height-at-handbag-factory-conversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/legal\/firm-fined-24000-over-fall-from-height-at-handbag-factory-conversion-17-02-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Firm fined \u00a324,000 over fall from height at handbag factory conversion"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_538360\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 181px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-538360\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/bow-tie-construction-photo-from-scene-582x1024-1-171x300.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"171\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/bow-tie-construction-photo-from-scene-582x1024-1-171x300.webp 171w, https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/bow-tie-construction-photo-from-scene-582x1024-1-131x230.webp 131w, https:\/\/cdn.ca.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/02\/bow-tie-construction-photo-from-scene-582x1024-1-85x150.webp 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 171px) 100vw, 171px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image from the scene. Credit: HSE<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A construction company has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries from a ladder fall during renovation works in London.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bow Tie Construction was converting a domestic property and a former handbag factory into a single dwelling in Islington when the incident occurred on 5 August 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A temporary timber framework had been required for the installation of a concrete staircase between the ground and first floors. However, while standing on a ladder to erect the frame, the worker fell 1.65 metres to the floor, the inspectorate said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The worker sustained multiple serious injuries, including crush injuries to both elbows, requiring several surgeries; a fractured forearm; dislocated wrists; and injuries to his right leg and left knee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An investigation by the HSE found that Bow Tie Construction had failed to implement a safe system for working at height during the construction of the staircase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe investigation also identified wider failings in the management of work at height on site, including inadequate edge protection, incorrectly assembled tower scaffolds, staircases without edge protection and uncontrolled use of ladders,\u201d the watchdog said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThese failings continued despite a previous HSE visit on 2 July 2021, during which a Prohibition Notice had been served for unsafe work at height.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bow Tie Construction Ltd, of Cliveden Office Village, Lancaster Road, High Wycombe, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on 13 February to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, according to the HSE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company was fined \u00a324,000 and ordered to pay \u00a34,101 in court costs, it added<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HSE inspector Emma Bitz said: \u201cThe risks associated with working at height are well known, and this incident could have easily been prevented.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEmployers must ensure suitable control measures are in place, safe working practices are followed and workers are provided with appropriate supervision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFailure to do so can result in life-changing injuries, as this case clearly demonstrates.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A construction company has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries from a ladder fall during renovation works in London. Bow Tie Construction was converting a domestic property and a former handbag factory into a single dwelling in Islington when the incident occurred on 5 August 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155153,"featured_media":517681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[581,578],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-538319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-safety","category-legal"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Firm fined \u00a324,000 over fall from height at handbag factory conversion | Construction News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A construction company has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries from a ladder fall during renovation works in London. 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