B&O Developers Ltd and its director Sanjay Swaminarayan have been fined a combined total of over £17,000 after workers were exposed to serious fall risks during a building project in central London. The fines were imposed at City of London Magistrate’s Court on July 22, 2026, following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Unsafe practices reported by the public
The case centered on work carried out at the Kings Cross Express Inn on Kings Cross Road, where members of the public witnessed unsafe practices and reported them to the HSE. Photographs taken by concerned individuals showed workers on a sloped roof with no edge protection or other control measures in place. One image captured workers standing on a makeshift platform balanced on a stepladder.
An HSE investigation found that on at least two dates, no controls were in place to prevent workers, employed by a subcontractor, from falling from height. The roofing subcontractor’s risk assessment had identified scaffolding around the roof as a necessary control, but this was not provided.
Company and director held accountable
The project ran from October 2020 until March 2024. Initially, the principal contractor was Hubb Construction Ltd, of which Swaminarayan, 48, was a director. In March 2023, the principal contractor role switched to B&O Developers Ltd, with Swaminarayan remaining as sole director and all other site arrangements unchanged.
Inspectors had previously met with Swaminarayan to discuss improving management arrangements to ensure sustained compliance with health and safety law. HSE guidance states that safe roof work requires, at a minimum, safe access to the roof and a safe place to work. For sloping roofs, this typically means full edge protection on all roof elevations where access is needed, with systems capable of containing a person sliding down steep surfaces, and edge protection at gable ends.
Fines and court outcome
B&O Developers Ltd, of Prince Albert Road, London, pleaded guilty and was fined £4,020 plus a surcharge of £1,608. Swaminarayan, of St John’s Wood Court, pleaded guilty and was fined £2,300, a surcharge of £1,108, and ordered to pay costs of £8,000.
HSE inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn said: “The working practices of both the company and Swaminarayan put lives at risk. Swaminarayan was fully aware of the requirements for safe work at height, having been given guidance from both HSE and his own health and safety advisors on several occasions.” She added: “Despite repeated assurances to improve work practices, he failed to ensure that suitable controls were in place to prevent falls and did not properly supervise those he employed to manage and carry out the work. I would like to thank those concerned members of the public who got in touch with HSE to let us know. We will always take action against those who fail to protect the lives of workers.”
Falls remain leading cause of workplace deaths
According to the latest HSE statistics, falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury, accounting for over a quarter of all work-related deaths in 2025/26. The fines and costs imposed in this case reflect the seriousness of the breaches and serve as a reminder to duty holders of their legal obligations to protect workers.
