Working at Height: Beware of Fragile Surfaces
A fragile surface when working at height can be every bit as dangerous as an open edge. If the surface gives way, a worker may fall through it and suffer life-changing or even fatal injuries.
All roofs should therefore be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed otherwise.
What Counts as a 'Fragile Surface'?
A fragile surface is any surface that cannot safely support the weight of a person and any equipment or materials they might be carrying.
According to the HSE's guidance on fragile surfaces, potentially fragile materials include fibre cement sheets, rooflights, liner panels, corroded metal sheets, glass, rotten chipboard, slates and tiles.
Rooflights are particularly hazardous because they may blend into the surrounding roof. Paint, dirt, weathering and certain lighting conditions can make them almost invisible.
Case Study: Worker Falls Through Skylight & Suffers Multiple Injuries
A recent HSE prosecution demonstrates how serious this risk can be. In June 2026, the HSE reported that two construction companies had been fined after a 26-year-old scaffolder fell through a roof skylight at a warehouse in Yorkshire.
The worker was carrying materials across the roof when he stepped onto an 'almost invisible' skylight and fell more than six metres, colliding with the handle of a pallet truck before landing on the warehouse's concrete floor. He suffered a broken arm, a broken leg and head lacerations. The HSE found that the work had not been properly planned, managed or monitored, and that no measures had been provided to prevent falls through the roof's fragile elements.
The skylight was reportedly very difficult to see, and the injured worker did not know that the roof contained fragile elements. This case shows why hazards must be identified and communicated before anyone is allowed onto or near a roof or other fragile surface.
Is It Possible to Work Safely on Fragile Surfaces?
If it's necessary to work on or near a fragile surface, the work must be carefully planned – even if the job is only expected to take a few minutes. This applies to all types of work: construction, maintenance, cleaning, repairs, demolition and so on. No worker, regardless of what they're doing there, should step onto a fragile surface until risk assessments have been conducted and appropriate precautions taken.
Ideally, you'll be able to avoid working on or near fragile surfaces completely. For example, certain tasks can be completed using a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) instead of sending workers onto a potentially fragile roof.
If fragile roof access is required, a competent person must assess the risks and select appropriate precautions. Depending on the work, these may include stagings, guard rails, or appropriate fall arrest equipment (whether that means a collective protection system like soft landing bags or personal fall protection gear like a safety harness).
No one safety product is suitable for every possible work situation. Fragile roof access equipment must be selected by someone with the relevant competencies, then installed correctly and supported by an effective rescue plan. Each worker must also receive suitable training, instructions and clear information about every fragile area before the work begins.
Never Assume a Roof Is Safe!
Roofs generally aren't designed to be walked on, so it's best to act as if every roof is fragile until a qualified person has deemed it otherwise. As the above case study demonstrates, simply looking at a roof won't tell you whether you can safely walk on it; weak points like skylights can be difficult to spot, and even a sturdily-built roof can weaken over time without becoming visibly degraded.
Before commencing work on a potentially fragile surface like a roof, make sure a thorough risk assessment has been carried out by a qualified individual, then implement their recommendations and ensure that all workers have the information they need to stay safe.
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