Housebuilder fined £800,000 after HSE prosecution by Ian Whitehurst
July 28, 2025
Ian Whitehurst from Exchange Chambers – acting for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – has prosecuted Taylor Wimpey UK Limited after a teen apprentice was injured when a temporary stairwell covering collapsed.
Charlie Marsh, 17, had been working as a contractor on a site in Weston-Super-Mare.
The apprentice bricklayer, from Whitchurch in Bristol, was less than 12 months into his career when the incident happened. An investigator for the HSE said the teen was lucky to escape serious injury.
On 22 August 2023 Charlie had been loading concrete blocks onto the temporary flooring on the first floor of one of the newly built homes. The blocks were being loaded into stacks of between 10 and 20, one of which was on or near to a temporary stairwell covering. This was a large area covered with a timber sheet material laid over joists – both of which would be later removed to install the staircase.
However, the area collapsed, causing Charlie and around 20kg of the concrete blocks to fall more than two metres to the ground below. He sustained injuries to his fingers, hand, wrist and shoulder.
The subsequent HSE investigation found that the joists under the timber sheet material should have been back propped. This was mentioned a number of times in Taylor Wimpey’s own health and safety manual for the site, however, it had been missed on this particular plot. Had suitably designed back propping been used, it is unlikely the incident would have occurred.
- HSE guidance (L153 – Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015) states that all practicable steps must be taken to prevent danger to any person from structural collapses and that an employer has a duty to ensure that contractors under their control should not be exposed to risks of their health or safety (Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974).
Taylor Wimpey UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay £6,240.25 costs with a £2000 victim surcharge at the North Somerset Magistrates’ Court on 3 June 2025.
HSE inspector Derek Mclauchlan said “Everyone working in construction has a responsibility to ensure people are safe.
“Any work involving structural stability is potentially high risk and proper planning and implementation should be given.
“This incident could have been avoided had the right steps been taken.
“The failures of Taylor Wimpey resulted in a young man at the very beginning of his career being injured. Charlie was lucky those injuries were not far more serious.
“Lessons should be learned.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Samantha Tiger and Paralegal Officer Rebecca Withell.
Ian Whitehurst is an A list member of the Attorney General’s List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates.
The Regulatory Board’s list is a register of approved specialist advocates qualified to prosecute cases for key public bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, Office of Rail and Road, Natural Resources Wales, the Care Quality Commission and the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
