A construction company specialising in steeple restoration has been fined after the tragic death of a 64-year-old worker who fell while working on a church steeple in Birmingham.

David Clover was conducting restoration work on St Nicholas' Church in Kings Norton in November 2020 when he fell to his death, as reported by the BBC.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that the chair Clover was suspended in—a bosun's chair—lacked an adequate backup system to prevent falls.

Ecclesiastical Steeplejacks Ltd, the company responsible for the project, admitted to breaching Work at Height Regulations.

At a hearing on 15th January at Birmingham Magistrates Court, the company was fined £60,000.

The HSE investigation found that Clover had been working on the church's 60-meter (197-foot) tall tower.

Despite the risks involved in such high-altitude work, the company failed to implement a backup safety system, such as a double or twin leg lanyard fall arrest harness, which could have saved his life.

The company has ceased trading since the incident.

The HSE highlighted the severity of falls from height in workplace fatalities, noting that 50 lives were lost in 2023-24 alone due to such incidents, making it one of the leading causes of workplace deaths and major injuries.