Academy Trust Fined £38,000 After Site Supervisor’s Life-Changing Roof Fall
Published on 07/16/2026 at 16:59 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A Catholic academy trust has been ordered to pay more than £38,000 after a site supervisor suffered catastrophic injuries in a fall from a school roof — a case that exposes serious gaps in workplace safety management and carries clear warnings for employers across the UK’s education sector.
The Romero Catholic Academy Trust was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Burnley. At Warrington Magistrates Court on 14 July 2026, the trust admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. The court imposed a fine of £32,000, reduced to reflect the organisation’s charitable status, and ordered costs of £6,360.
A Preventable Fall
The incident happened on 2 September 2024, when site supervisor Robert Baker climbed onto the school roof to retrieve footballs. The HSE investigation found that the trust had failed to carry out a proper risk assessment for working at height, and that the roof lacked essential edge protection to prevent falls.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must ensure all work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out from a safe place. The trust’s failure to meet these basic requirements led directly to the prosecution.
A proper risk assessment for working at height could have prevented this incident – yet many employers still overlook this fundamental step. The free Risk Assessment Toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists to help you document hazards, plan safe systems of work, and stay compliant with UK regulations. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
Life-Altering Injuries
The fall caused severe physical trauma. Mr Baker sustained a subdural haematoma — bleeding on the brain — alongside multiple fractures to his face, hand, and foot. Medical staff initially doubted whether he would survive.
He did survive, but the consequences have been lasting. The site supervisor now lives with ongoing cognitive difficulties, including persistent problems with memory and speech.
Wider Context for School Safety
The ruling comes as school safety and infrastructure remain under scrutiny. On 15 July 2026, the Department for Education published an updated academy trust handbook, due to take effect on 1 October 2026, reinforcing governance responsibilities for maintaining safe premises.
Elsewhere, Beacon Academy in Crowborough recently received nearly £500,000 from the Condition Improvement Fund for roof replacement — part of £2.8 million allocated to the school between 2021 and 2023. While such funding supports building maintenance, the case against Romero Catholic Academy Trust underscores that financial investment alone is not enough; robust safety management is a legal duty that cannot be overlooked.
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