Elderly man falls to death in York bathroom accident, February 2019

On February 9, 2019, Kenneth Armitage, an 81-year-old man, tragically fell to his death in his home in York due to unsafe construction practices. He fell through an unguarded hole in the bathroom floor that had been left by the construction company Cooper and Westgate while converting the space into a wet room. His body was discovered by his son-in-law, leading to a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident. The investigation revealed that the construction firm had failed to secure the hole properly and that their employees lacked adequate training. Additionally, the company did not conduct a suitable risk assessment or create a method statement for the work being performed. These oversights contributed to the unsafe conditions that led to Mr. Armitage's fatal accident. In response to the findings, Cooper and Westgate was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay an additional £50,000 in costs at Leeds Magistrates' Court. The HSE emphasized the importance of assessing and controlling risks associated with work at height, particularly when creating openings in domestic properties. The loss of Kenneth Armitage has left a profound impact on his family, with his daughter expressing the deep emotional pain and struggle to come to terms with his passing. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for safety measures in construction to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.