A TEENAGE construction worker tragically died after plummeting six storeys down a ventilation shaft in a “wholly avoidable” tragedy.
Renols Lleshi’s employer has been fined £42,000 after the 19-year-old’s tragic death at a building site in Acton, West London.
Renols had been working on the 12th floor of a block of flats at the Ark Soane Academy on Mill Hill Road in July 2023.
The labourer was helping to remove scaffolding on the roof garden when he stepped through a vent cover and plunged six floors to his death.
But an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) later found it had only been covered by a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam.
And the roof garden was not covered by routine inspections of the building, meaning the inadequate covering remained undetected.
HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man.”
In a statement, Renols heartbroken family told how they had been left devastated by his “entirely avoidable” death.
Renols’ dad said: “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols.
“To know that his death was caused by an accident which was entirely avoidable only makes our loss even harder to cope with.
“We are grateful to the Health & Safety Executive for their efforts to investigate the accident and prosecute one of those responsible for Renols’s death.
“However, nothing anybody can do can bring our loved one back or lessen our grief in any way.”
Family-owned Jerram Falkus Construction Limited pleaded guilty last week to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
It was fined £42,200, £5,000 in costs and a surcharge of £2,000.
The regulations aim to prevent death and injury from a fall from height.
Guidance states employers should “ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly”.
The construction firm, which operated across the capital and the south east, ceased trading last month and has since called in administrators.
Last month, a worker died following an industrial incident at a new-build housing estate in Sprowston, Norfolk.
Developers Tilia Homes confirmed an “agency general operative” had tragically been killed.
A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the individual’s family, friends and colleagues at this incredibly difficult time.”
The man’s next of kin were informed and cops confirmed their enquiries were being assisted by the Health and Safety Executive.
