Apprentice's 'lucky escape' in concrete collapse

An apprentice bricklayer was "lucky to escape serious injury" after a temporary stairwell cover collapsed, a health and safety watchdog has said.

Charlie, 17, was working as a contractor for Taylor Wimpey in Weston-super-Mare when he fell two metres to the ground along with about 20kg of concrete in August 2023.

The housebuilder has been fined £800,000 following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which said the 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", said HSE inspector Derek Mclauchlan.

"Charlie was lucky those injuries were not far more serious," he said.

The teenager, from Whitchurch in Bristol, sustained injuries to his fingers, hand, wrist and shoulder after a large area covered with a timber sheet caved in, the HSE said.

He had been loading concrete blocks into stacks on 22 August 2023, one of which was on or near to a temporary stairwell covering.

The area was covered with a timber sheet material laid over joists, but it collapsed, causing Charlie to fall around two metres with around 20kg of concrete blocks.

An investigation by the HSE found the joists under the timber sheet should have been back propped.

Taylor Wimpey UK Limited was also ordered to pay £6,240 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after it pleaded guilty at North Somerset Magistrates' Court to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

"Everyone working in construction has a responsibility to ensure people are safe", Mr Mclauchlan said.

"Any work involving structural stability is potentially high risk and proper planning and implementation should be given.

"Lessons should be learned."

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