A father-of-two was killed when he fell through an unsafe first floor as a construction company has been given a six-figure fine at court. The company, W G Carter Limited, of Appleton, was fined £120,000 after the death of 59-year-old Richard "Felix" Roper on August 30, 2022.
At Bristol Magistrates' Court, W G Carter Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 on September 24. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,247.
Mr Roper, a carpenter and father-of-two, was carrying out work on the first floor of Manor Barn House, in Nether Westcote, where extensive repairs were being undertaken to replace rotten floor joists and floorboards, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.
He had been tasked with replacing damaged floor joists while other workers removed sections of flooring in the same area.
Large parts of the first-floor structure had been stripped back, leaving open gaps between joists. Some joists were missing altogether or had not been secured.
Mr Roper fell from the first floor to the concrete ground floor below while working. He suffered severe head injuries and died in hospital the following day.
An investigation was launched by HSE and Gloucestershire Police, which found that the work at height had not been "properly planned, appropriately supervised, or carried out safely".
Workers were able to access areas of the first floor despite flooring and structural supports being removed while there were insufficient measures in place to prevent falls.
This was while other workers were removing floorboards which created and increased the risk of falling from height.
After the incident, a Prohibition Notice was served by HSE which stopped work at height under "adequate safety measures" were introduced.
A spokesperson for HSE said: "Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury with the latest statistics from HSE showing that they account for over a quarter of all work related deaths in 2025/26.
"HSE guidance states what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height including making sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.
"The investigation found that W G Carter Limited had failed to adequately plan the work and implement suitable measures to prevent workers from falling.
"After the incident, the company adopted a safer method of working, installing floor joists from below using appropriate work-at-height equipment and preventing access to the first floor while the work was being undertaken."
HSE principal inspector James Lucas said: “Due to the failings of this company, a man lost his life.
“Every year, workers are killed or suffer life-changing injuries because work at height has not been properly planned or suitable safeguards have not been put in place.
“Had appropriate controls been in place, Felix’s death could have been prevented.
“Our thoughts remain with Felix’s family. He was a valued colleague and a much-loved father of two who lost his life in circumstances that should never have arisen.”
