A construction company has been fined after a teenage scaffolding labourer died in a fall from height on a London building site.
Renols Lleshi, 19, was helping to dismantle scaffolding on the 12th-floor roof garden of a block of flats at the Ark Soane Academy site in Acton on 5 July 2023.
He stepped onto a ventilation shaft that had been covered with a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam. The covering gave way, and he fell six floors.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the shaft covering was inadequate and had not been identified during routine inspections. The roof garden area had not been included in inspection checks, and no warning had been given to the scaffolding team.
Mr Lleshi’s family said his death was “entirely avoidable”. “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols,” his father said.
“To know that his death was caused by an accident which was entirely avoidable only makes our loss even harder to cope with.
“Nothing anybody can do can bring our loved one back or lessen our grief in any way.”
The HSE said employers must ensure work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out safely, with suitable and secure coverings in place over openings.
Jerram Falkus Construction Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
The company was fined £42,200, ordered to pay a £2,000 surcharge and £5,000 in costs at City of London Magistrates’ Court on 18 March 2026.
HSE inspector Natalie Prince said the incident was preventable.
“Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries,” she said.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man.”
The case highlights ongoing risks associated with working at height, particularly during scaffolding dismantling activities, where unprotected openings and inadequate controls can have fatal consequences.
