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Bettesworth Construction
Construction Safety

Carpenter Killed in Fall Through Floor: Company Fined £120,000

A carpenter died after falling through gaps in an unfinished first-floor structure during refurbishment. The company was fined £120,000 for a work-at-height breach.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
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A carpenter died after falling through an unfinished first-floor structure during refurbishment work at Manor Barn House in Gloucestershire. In September 2026, WG Carter Limited pleaded guilty to a work-at-height offence and was fined £120,000. The case highlights the need to plan floor and joist removal as one coordinated task, secure or restrict access to dangerous areas, and put suitable fall-prevention measures in place.

What happened at Manor Barn House

On 30 August 2022, 59-year-old carpenter Richard “Felix” Roper was working on a refurbishment at Manor Barn House, Nether Westcote, Gloucestershire. The work involved replacing rotten floor joists and floorboards. Roper was assigned to replace damaged joists while other workers removed floor sections in the same area. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that substantial areas of the first-floor structure had been stripped back, leaving gaps between joists; some joists were missing or unsecured.

Roper fell from the first floor to the concrete ground floor, suffered severe head injuries, and died in hospital the following day. The published account does not establish the precise movement or immediate mechanism that caused his fall, so it would be inaccurate to describe it as a trip, misstep or particular collapse sequence.

What the investigation found

A joint investigation by HSE and Gloucestershire Police found that work at height had not been properly planned, appropriately supervised or carried out safely. Workers could access areas where flooring and structural supports had been removed without adequate fall-prevention measures. Continued floorboard removal created and increased the risk of a fall.

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After the incident, HSE served a Prohibition Notice stopping further work at height until adequate measures were introduced. HSE principal inspector James Lucas said: “Had appropriate controls been in place, Felix’s death could have been prevented.”

Prosecution and court outcome

WG Carter Limited, an Oxfordshire construction company, pleaded guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 24 September 2026 to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £5,247 in costs.

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How the company changed its method

HSE reported that after the incident the company changed its approach: it installed floor joists from below using appropriate work-at-height equipment and prevented access to the first floor while the work was underway. This is the company’s reported post-incident method, not a universal prescription; the suitable approach depends on the building, task and site conditions.

Lessons for planning work on floors and joists

HSE defines work at height as work in any place where, without precautions, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Its brief guide explains that the Work at Height Regulations 2005 aim to prevent death and injury from falls and sets out employer responsibilities. For refurbishment involving open floors, the case points to several practical controls:

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  • Plan the sequence: Coordinate joist replacement and floorboard removal so that work does not expose people to gaps or unsupported areas without controls.
  • Coordinate simultaneous work: Make sure workers’ tasks and movements are considered together, particularly when one activity removes structure another worker relies on for safe access.
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HSE’s case account and guide support these general principles, but do not identify a particular product or establish a site-specific engineering solution. A cover, guardrail or item of protective equipment should not be treated as automatically suitable simply because it is marketed for fall protection.

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Falls from height in Great Britain

HSE reported 31 worker deaths from falls from height in Great Britain during 2025/26, around a quarter of the 126 worker deaths in work-related incidents recorded for that year. These are national annual figures, not statistics specific to carpenters, floor openings or this incident. HSE publishes its annual workplace fatality statistics.

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