Construction firm fined £16,000 after bricklayer's 2.6m fall in Leamington Spa

In July 2024, 65‑year‑old bricklayer Nicholas Crow fell approximately 2.6 m through a gap in a balustrade at a house on Binswood Street in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The fall caused head trauma, a stroke and lasting impairments to speech, memory, mobility and fine motor skills.

The employer, Sibbasbridge Limited of 175a Evesham Road, Stratford‑upon‑Avon, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 29 June 2024 the company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £7,638 in costs. An HSE investigation found the firm had failed to carry out a task‑specific risk assessment, had not provided scaffolding or other protective measures, and had removed railings the day before work began, creating the hazardous opening.

HSE inspector Zach Morris said the incident was "entirely preventable" and highlighted the need for proper planning and protection when working at height. The victim’s wife, Sarah Crow, described the severe impact on their family, saying his best years had been taken away.