The construction company was fined after a step ladder fall
A construction firm from High Wycombe was fined £24,000 after one of its employees fell from a five-foot ladder. This verdict marked the conclusion of a five-year legal battle and investigation. But what is the story behind this incident, and how will it affect the construction industry in the future?
The main source: Construction company fined after step ladder fall
The story of the incident
Bow Tie Construction Limited was carrying out refurbishment works in Islington when, on 5 August 2021, a worker sustained serious injuries after falling from a ladder.
The worker was involved in a renovation project in Islington for Bow Tie Construction. The project involved converting an existing residential building and a former bag factory into a single residential property. As part of the works, new concrete stairs were to be installed between the first and second floors. Temporary timber formwork was required to construct the stairs.
The man who fell had been instructed by the company director and acting manager, Rafael Delimati, to install the formwork. While standing at the top of a ladder and using a petrol-powered nail gun, he fell approximately 1.65 metres to the floor below.
He sustained multiple serious injuries, including shattered elbows on both arms requiring several operations, a fractured forearm, dislocated wrists. Also he injures his right leg and left knee.
How was this construction company incident resolved, and how will it influence the industry in the future?
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bow Tie Construction had failed to implement a safe system of work at height during the construction of the stairs.
The investigation also identified wider failings in the management of work at height on the site, including inadequate edge protection, incorrectly assembled tower scaffolds, staircases without edge protection, and uncontrolled use of ladders.
The company could not claim it had not been warned; just one month earlier it had been served with a prohibition notice for breaches of work-at-height safety regulations.
Bow Tie Construction Limited, based at Cleveden Office Village, High Wycombe, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. On 13 February 2026, at Southwark Crown Court, the company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay £4,101 in costs.
Fencyx, as one of the leaders in the UK building industry, is following this investigation closely. We hope that all construction companies will take this case into account and avoid such situations in the future.