Taylor Wimpey UK Limited has been fined £800,000 following a serious safety breach that led to a teenage apprentice falling through a temporary floor at a construction site in Weston-super-Mare.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Marsh, an apprentice bricklayer with less than a year’s experience, was working at Taylor Wimpey’s Meadfields development, where approximately 450 new homes were being built. On August 22, 2023, while stacking concrete blocks weighing around 20 kilograms on the first floor of a newly constructed house, Charlie stepped on a temporary stairwell covering made of timber sheets laid over joists.
The temporary flooring, which was meant to support light loads before being removed to install a permanent staircase, collapsed beneath him. Charlie fell over two meters to the ground below, sustaining injuries to his fingers, hand, wrist, and shoulder. Fortunately, the injuries were not life-threatening, but an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that the incident was entirely avoidable.
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The HSE found that the joists under the timber sheet should have been adequately back propped to support the weight placed upon them. This safety measure was clearly outlined in Taylor Wimpey’s own site health and safety manual but was neglected on this plot. Had proper back propping been implemented, the collapse would likely have been prevented.
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers must take all practical steps to avoid structural collapses and ensure contractors’ safety. Taylor Wimpey pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The company was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay additional costs totaling £8,240.25, including a £2,000 victim surcharge, at North Somerset Magistrates’ Court on June 3, 2025.
HSE Inspector Derek McLauchlan emphasized, “Everyone working in construction has a responsibility to ensure safety. Structural work is inherently high risk and requires thorough planning and execution. This incident was completely preventable, and it is tragic that a young apprentice was injured as a result of these failures. Important lessons must be learned to avoid such incidents in the future.”
This prosecution was led by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Samantha Tiger and Paralegal Officer Rebecca Withell, highlighting the commitment to holding companies accountable for safety lapses on construction sites.