Firm fined £45,000 after window cleaner falls to death

A window cleaner fell to his death from the thirdstorey window of a Grade II listed building in the City of London after his employers failed to ensure safe working conditions, a court ruled.

Kevin Dolan, 57, fell through an open floor-toceiling window at Pountney Hill House while cleaning the huge glass pane from the inside.

The Old Bailey heard his death on Oct 18, 2012 was caused by a lack of safety measures, such as harnesses or rope access. Blades (London) Ltd, a Surreybased cleaning company, took responsibility for his death and pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety Act.

Bob Sawyer, Darren Sawyer and James Curtis, directors of the company, sat at the back of court as their firm was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 costs.

Judge Richard Kramer QC said: ‘Nothing this court does today can, sadly, turn the clock back.”