Tragic rooftop fall at London development site
A young scaffolder died in a horrific accident on a London rooftop after stepping onto a false ventilation shaft cover. Renols Lleshi, 19, from Ilford, fell six storeys to his death in July 2023 while dismantling scaffolding on the 12th floor of a residential block at the Ark Soane Academy site on Mill Hill Road.
The ventilation shaft covering was shockingly made from plasterboard and roofing foam, which gave way beneath him. He died instantly at the scene.
The company admits a safety breach and is fined £42,000
Jerram Falkus Construction Ltd pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
The firm was slapped with a £42,000 fine, ordered to pay £5,000 in costs, and a £2,000 surcharge after safety failings led to the fatal fall.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed routine inspections had missed the dangerous ventilation shaft on the roof garden. No warnings were given to the scaffolding crew about the hazard. Lleshi was employed by subcontractor Embassy Site Services Ltd, hired by Jerram Falkus Construction.
HSE calls the incident ‘wholly avoidable’
HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in construction. This tragic death was wholly avoidable.”
Family devastated, company in administration
Renols Lleshi’s father said: “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols. To know his death was caused by an accident that was entirely avoidable only makes our grief harder to bear. Nothing can bring him back or ease our pain.”
Jerram Falkus Construction entered administration in February. Once a long-established family business with a £47.6 million turnover, it was managing projects mostly for local authorities and housing associations across London and the South East. Its pre-tax profits for the year ending July 2024 were a mere £37,000.
