Jack Croft, who was 30 at the time, suffered life changing injuries when he fell through the roof of a sheep barn in Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
Croft had been working on a project to extend the barn in October 2022, and was attempting to install roof sheets that would bridge the gap between the old and new roof.
However, when he stepped onto the roof it immediately broke under his weight and he fell from a height of around six metres.
As a result of the incident, Croft suffered significant life changing injuries, including five cranial fractures, 10 fractured ribs, a cranial bleed, hearing loss and fractures to his spine, eye socket, cheek, wrist and shoulder. He also suffered a collapsed left lung and a pulmonary embolism.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the building firm hired to conduct the work, Norman Iveson Steel Products Limited, had failed to implement basic working at height control measures, such as safety netting, to prevent falls.
The netting that was in place on site did not cover the full work area and was installed by people without the necessary skills. The HSE also found a failure to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase.
Norman Iveson Steel Products Limited, of Hill Crest, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,101 at York Magistrates Court on 22 May 2025.
Meanwhile, company director Phillip Iveson pleaded guilty to Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 194 and fined £1,822 and told to pay costs of £2,358.
“This was a tragic incident where a young man narrowly escaped death but received life changing injuries,” HSE inspector Gavin Carruthers said after the hearing.
“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace death in Great Britain and this incident was fully avoidable if steps were taken to address the risks.”
