On December 16, 2022, a 23-year-old employee working for EE Renewables Limited fell from the roof of a house on Sherfield English Road.
He had been adjusting a solar panel when he slid and fell four metres onto the ground below, sustaining a broken femur as a result.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found EE Renewables Limited had not properly planned the work at height and failed to take suitable steps to prevent a fall. The company had been hired by the homeowner to move nine solar panels higher up on the roof.
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The solar energy company, based in Fareham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
It was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,716 in costs at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on December 23, 2024.
The employee fell from a roof in Sherfield English (Image: HSE)
HSE inspector Sam Applebee said: “EE Renewables Limited did not properly plan this work so it could be carried out in a safe manner. There were inadequate means of protecting the workers from falling off the roof, with the company failing to provide edge protection.
“Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of injuries and fatalities in Britain, so it is important that companies ensure they implement the correct control measures and safe working practices.”
This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and supported by HSE paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.