Kenneth Armitage died after falling through a hole in his bathroom left by workers(Image: Health and Safety Executive)

'Kindest person you could ever meet', 81, dies falling through hole in bathroom left by workers

Retired engineer Kenneth Armitage, 81, died after falling through a hole in his bathroom that was left behind by workers as they completed a wet room conversion

by · The Mirror

An 81-year old-grandfather died in a tragic accident after plummeting through an unguarded hole left in his bathroom by repair workers.

Kenneth Armitage fell from the bathroom to the kitchen floor below after construction firm Cooper and Westgate failed to cover the hole they had created while converting his bathroom into a wet room on Whitestone Drive, Huntington, York. On February 8, 2019, the floorboards were removed to allow access to pipework but no precautions were taken to secure the site, leading to Mr Armitage's fatal fall the following day.

His body was discovered by his son-in-law on February 9, detailed the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A subsequent HSE investigation revealed that not only did Cooper and Westgate leave the hazardous hole unprotected, but their workforce was also not correctly trained, and they didn't carry out appropriate risk assessments or properly plan for the task at hand.

Mr Armitage fell through the floor while conversion works took place( Image: Health and Safety Executive)

Kenneth's daughter, Suzy, spoke of her heartbreak: "Our dad, who was sadly taken away from us, was everything to us. He was the kindest person you could ever meet. He was a fantastic dad to me, my brother and a loving grandad to all our children.", reports Yorkshire Live.

She continued: "I can't believe he has gone, I keep thinking it's a horrible nightmare and I will wake up and he'll be there. Our hearts were broken that day and may never heal. It should have never happened. We are all still struggling to come to terms with losing him." Cooper and Westgate Co. Ltd was convicted of health and safety failings after being found guilty of breaching crucial legislation at Leeds Magistrates' Court.

Kenneth Armitage's body was found the day after he died( Image: Health and Safety Executive)

The firm, based in Wakefield, was slapped with a huge £150,000 fine and ordered to cough up an additional £50,000 in costs over the incident, which took place on September 17, 2024. In the wake of the ruling, HSE inspector Yolande Burns-Sleightholme commented: "Employers need to fully assess and control the risks from holes in domestic properties and recognise the importance of securing them effectively.

"They should then pass this knowledge on to their employees through suitable training and guidance." She further warned: "This incident could so easily have been avoided had Cooper and Westgate properly assessed the risks, put in place safe working practices and provided the correct training to its employees."