Ad
Thursday, October 9, 2025

Lack of Scaffolding Results in Fatal Rooftop Fall

ADVERTISEMENT

A North London businessman has been jailed following the tragic death of a worker who fell from the roof of a commercial property in Neasden.

Patrick McCarthy, trading as All Care Home Improvements, received a 14-month custodial sentence after the incident involving Mr Andrei-Ionel Hutanu, who died a week later.

The incident occurred on August 19, 2019, when Mr Hutanu and a co-worker were conducting repairs on the roof of the commercial premises. Mr Hutanu, aged 33, fell approximately 16 feet from a tiled pitched roof onto a concrete alleyway below.

The fall resulted in a fractured neck and severe head injuries. Mr Hutanu was airlifted to St Marys Hospital in Paddington, where he passed away on August 26, 2019.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, revealing that McCarthy, aged 37, had failed to implement any measures to prevent falls from height, such as scaffolding around the building or flat roof where both men were working.

McCarthy pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and received his 14-month custodial sentence on April 4, 2023. 

HSE Inspector Philip Jordan emphasized that the tragedy could have been easily avoided with proper assessment and planning, stating that both the courts and HSE take regulatory failures extremely seriously.

“The custodial sentence imposed on Mr McCarthy should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to follow the regulations extremely seriously. HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against individuals or companies that fall below the required standards.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Popular Categories

Latest news

The magazine

Issue 27 | Past issues >>

Popular

ScaffChamp 2025: Teams Gather in Vilnius for Opening Day

The international scaffolding competition ScaffChamp 2025 has officially begun,...

Construction starts slump as housing confidence falters

The UK construction industry is facing renewed decline, according...

Ethiopia church scaffolding collapse kills at least 30

At least 30 people have died and more than...

Storm Amy set to hit UK with severe winds and rain

The UK is bracing for Storm Amy, the first...

National Scaffolding Week 2025 launches to celebrate industry’s people and skills

National Scaffolding Week 2025 has officially launched, shining a...

Related articles

Company fined after worker dies in six-foot scaffold fall

A Lancashire sign-fitting company and its director have been prosecuted after a worker died from head injuries sustained in a fall from scaffolding lacking basic safety protection. Iftikhar Ahmed Mughal, 64, was installing a...
- Advertisements -

Latest topics

PERI UP system supports cladding remediation at Hilton Hotel

The Hilton Hotel in Kingston upon Thames is undergoing...

Midland Scaffolding staff go the distance in charity challenge for Poppy

Midland Scaffolding Services (MSS) has raised an impressive £20,000...

AT-PAC names new UK MD as ScaffEx25 showcases national ambitions

After unveiling a wave of new systems at Bauma...

ScaffEx25: An Industry Comes of Age in Manchester

Two days in September that showcased not just where...
- Advertisement -