Summary
On 22 November 2023, 53-year-old joiner Adam Kirkpatrick suffered life-changing injuries after falling through an unsecured skylight opening at a domestic property in Altrincham. Mr Kirkpatrick, who was subcontracted by JLM Solutions Limited, stepped onto a piece of plyboard that had been placed over the opening without being secured. He sustained a complete spinal cord injury, resulting in permanent paralysis from the waist down, along with head injuries and multiple fractures.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that JLM Solutions Limited, the principal contractor, failed to properly plan, manage, or monitor the roof work. At Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 26 May 2026, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. They were ordered to pay a fine of £8,000, costs of £5,850, and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
Analysis
This incident highlights a critical failure in the fundamental duties of a principal contractor. Under the CDM 2015 regulations, the responsibility to “plan, manage and monitor” is not a mere administrative requirement but a vital safety mandate. The use of unsecured plyboard as a cover is a well-known hazard in the construction industry; the HSE’s findings emphasise that a safe working platform and adequate supervision would have prevented this tragedy.
The disparity between the severity of the injury—a lifetime of paralysis for the victim—and the £8,000 fine may be a point of contention. While sentencing guidelines often account for a company’s turnover and financial health, the outcome serves as a reminder of the devastating human cost when basic safety protocols for working at height are ignored. The fact that the victim was discovered by his son, the only other person on site, further underscores the lack of adequate site management and emergency planning during the construction phase.