Stephen Pywell, 59, was working under the control of Affordable Lifestyle Design Limited at a site in Thurmaston on 18th March 2019 when he fell while walking along a beam. He had accessed the beams via a ladder but there was no edge protection in place to prevent falls. Pywell fell from a height of just under eight feet. He was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery but died several weeks later as a result of his injuries.An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that James Pitsillides, the director of Affordable Lifestyle Design, had failed to manage the roof work. This included ensuring that roofing subcontractors, including Pywell, were not exposed to health and safety risks.On 7th May 2025 at Leicester Magistrates鈥� Court, Pitsillides pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was given a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay 拢10,000 in costs.Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height.That guidance states that work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner that is safe. The 鈥渉ierarchy of control鈥� prioritises collective fall prevention measures, for example scaffolding with suitable edge protection. If this is not feasible, fall mitigation measures like airbags or netting should be considered to reduce the consequences of a potential fall. In this case, none of these measures were used, and workers were accessing the roof with a ladder and no additional fall prevention measures in place.HSE inspector Phil Gratton said: 鈥淓very year, a significant number of incidents occur in construction as a result of poorly planned work at height.鈥淭his was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure to implement simple fall protection measures. Had the company used suitable work equipment or devised a safe system of work, Mr Pywell鈥檚 tragic death could have been avoided.鈥淥ur thoughts remain with his family and friends.鈥�
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