B&O Developers and director fined for unsafe roof work
Health and Safety Executive penalised firm and Sanjay Swaminarayan after photos showed workers without edge protection.
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B&O Developers Ltd and its director Sanjay Swaminarayan have been fined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for putting workers' lives at risk through unsafe roof operations. The penalties followed an investigation prompted by public concerns and photographic evidence of dangerous practices at the Kings Cross Express Inn on Kings Cross Road.
Evidence of Unsafe Practices
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Photographs submitted to the HSE in January 2024 depicted workers on a roof lacking essential safety measures such as edge protection. The images also revealed a lack of secure access, with operatives seen working from a makeshift platform balanced on a stepladder. The HSE's investigation confirmed that no measures were in place to prevent falls from height on at least two separate occasions. Crucially, safety controls identified in the roofing subcontractor's risk assessment, including the provision of scaffolding, were absent.
Enforcement Actions and Convictions
The construction project, which involved extension and refurbishment, ran from October 2020 until March 2024. Hubb Construction Ltd initially managed the project before B&O Developers Ltd took over as principal contractor in March 2023, with Mr Swaminarayan as the sole director. HSE inspectors had previously addressed public concerns and taken enforcement action against both companies between November 2021 and September 2023. Despite these interventions, further unsafe work was reported in January 2024.
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B&O Developers Ltd entered a guilty plea for breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £4,020 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £1,608. Mr Swaminarayan pleaded guilty to contravening Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He was fined £2,300, a surcharge of £1,108, and ordered to pay £8,000 in costs.
Falls From Height
Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities and injuries in the UK, accounting for more than a quarter of all work-related deaths in the 2025/26 period, according to HSE figures. HSE guidance mandates that roof work must include safe access and a secure working platform.
Questions this report answers
+Why were B&O Developers Ltd and Sanjay Swaminarayan fined?
They were fined by the Health and Safety Executive for endangering workers with unsafe roof work at the Kings Cross Express Inn. This followed photographic evidence in January 2024 showing workers without edge protection or safe access.
+How much were the fines?
B&O Developers Ltd was fined £4,020 plus a £1,608 surcharge. Director Sanjay Swaminarayan was fined £2,300 plus a £1,108 surcharge and ordered to pay £8,000 in costs.
+What specific safety failures were identified?
Workers were photographed on the roof without edge protection or safe access, using a makeshift platform on a stepladder. Measures such as scaffolding, identified in the risk assessment, were not in place.
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