Another Fall, Another Warning: Let ISO 45001 Do Its Job

In April 2025, 70-year-old Thomas Eilbeck tragically lost his life after falling from height while carrying out cleaning work at a business premises in Tonbridge, Kent. Emergency services were called to the scene, but despite their efforts, Mr Eilbeck was pronounced dead shortly after the fall. The incident is currently under investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), but early reports suggest the absence of adequate fall prevention systems and possibly defective equipment contributed to the fatality.

This wasn’t an isolated event. In the same year, the HSE confirmed that falls from height were once again the leading cause of workplace deaths in Great Britain, accounting for 50 of the 124 total fatalities recorded. Construction and maintenance activities remain the most common settings for these tragedies - many of which occur during routine jobs, such as cleaning gutters, working on scaffolding, or performing minor repairs. It’s not always about major infrastructure jobs - fatal accidents often happen in overlooked, everyday settings.

Thomas Eilbeck’s case is especially tragic because it highlights several common failures in managing workplace safety: lack of proper risk assessments, inadequate planning, poor supervision, and insufficient consideration for vulnerable workers. At 70 years old, Mr Eilbeck was still actively working - but that doesn’t reduce an employer’s duty of care. It emphasises the need for robust, proactive systems that don’t just meet minimum legal standards, but go beyond to prevent foreseeable harm.

This is where ISO 45001:2018, the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, can make a real difference.

What Went Wrong - and How ISO 45001 Could Have Helped

At its core, ISO 45001 is about identifying hazards, assessing risk, and putting control measures in place before people are harmed. In a case like this, the standard would have required a number of specific actions:

1. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

Before any work at height takes place, a thorough assessment should be carried out to identify what could go wrong. ISO 45001 mandates this under its risk management clauses. The work environment, equipment condition, surface stability, and individual worker needs - including age and physical capacity - would all be considered.

2. Competency and Training

Had Mr Eilbeck been working under an ISO 45001-compliant system, the organisation would have verified his training, physical suitability, and understanding of the risks involved. The standard places great emphasis on ensuring that all workers are competent and aware of the hazards they face - especially for higher-risk tasks like working at height.

3. Control of Contractors

ISO 45001 also requires organisations to manage outsourced work and third-party contractors with the same care as in-house employees. This includes providing safety briefings, checking equipment suitability, and integrating contractors into the organisation’s safety systems. Too often, contractors are left to manage their own risks with minimal oversight - something this standard actively seeks to prevent.

4. Planning and Operational Control

The standard requires businesses to plan high-risk work in detail. This includes using proper equipment, ensuring fall protection systems are in place, and checking everything before work starts. If any of this had been applied to Mr Eilbeck’s case, it's possible his fall could have been avoided entirely.

5. Emergency Preparedness

In the event something does go wrong, ISO 45001 ensures that businesses have rehearsed emergency procedures in place. Fast, coordinated responses can mean the difference between life and death. If emergency action was delayed or confused in this case, it would point to another gap ISO 45001 helps close.

6. Continual Improvement and Learning from Incidents

Finally, ISO 45001 embeds a culture of learning. All incidents - whether near misses or fatalities - are investigated not to assign blame, but to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. For organisations that already follow this standard, every close call is an opportunity to improve.

A Preventable Tragedy

Too many businesses only revisit their safety policies after someone is hurt - or worse. But safety doesn’t have to be reactive. ISO 45001 provides a structured, proactive approach to preventing harm. It’s not about ticking boxes; it’s about saving lives through disciplined planning, engagement, and continuous improvement.

Mr Eilbeck’s death was not inevitable. With the right system in place - one that puts health and safety at the heart of every job, however routine - this could have been just another day at work. Instead, it became another statistic in an annual report we should all be working to make obsolete.

Final Thoughts

Falls from height are the leading cause of workplace deaths in the UK year after year. But they are also one of the most preventable. ISO 45001 gives organisations the tools to stop these incidents before they happen.

At AAA Certification Ltd, we help organisations of all sizes implement ISO 45001 in a practical, effective way. Whether you're in construction, facilities management, cleaning, or maintenance, our team can help you build a safety culture that genuinely protects your people.

Learn how AAA Certification Ltd can support you in achieving ISO 45001:2018. Sign up to a Certification Audit with AAA and take the first step towards achieving ISO 45001 certification.