By James Whitaker · Published 29 June 2026 · 2 min read
Missing Scaffold Inspections Lead to £50,000 Fine Following Fatal Void Fall
A principal contractor has been fined 50,000 pounds after a labourer fell to his death through an unglazed window opening on a high street redevelopment. Antonio Rodrigues plunged more than three metres to a concrete floor at a New Malden site in July 2022. Lima Construction Limited only installed protective boarding over the void hours after the fatal incident.
Background
The project involved converting a former department store into commercial and residential units. Workers created window voids to install glazed Juliet balconies. When damaged glazing panels delayed the installation, the voids were left wide open next to an external scaffolding platform. Investigators discovered that the company had failed to carry out legally required weekly scaffold inspections for three weeks prior to the fall, destroying the opportunity for a competent person to flag the hazard.
Industry implications
Rodrigues died in hospital days after the fall. Lima Construction Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Westminster Magistrates Court handed down a 50,000 pound fine alongside 11,347 pounds in costs on 18 June 2026. The financial and reputational damage stems directly from a failure to adapt to a changed site condition.
What contractors should do now
Site teams must treat unglazed voids as leading edges. If window installations are delayed, openings must be immediately secured with boarding or internal guard rails. Scaffold registers must be rigidly maintained. If a seven-day inspection is missed, the scaffold must not be used.
Expert view
HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers described the case as a tragic failure to react to an unusual situation. He noted that falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities in the UK. The case exposes the danger of assuming a temporary hazard will be resolved quickly without implementing interim controls.
What happens next
Work at height remains the leading cause of construction fatalities. The HSE is currently running a targeted inspection campaign focusing on edge protection, scaffold compliance and the management of internal voids.
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