An 18-year-old apprentice carpenter died after a stack of unsecured boards fell on her while she was working alone on a property renovation in Bangor, Wales, in December 2023. Chloe Bidwell, of Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, was crushed to death, and her body was found after she failed to return home and did not respond to text messages.
Company and Director Sentenced
Varcity Living Limited, the property management company Miss Bidwell was working for, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £10,080 in prosecution costs. Director David Horrocks, of Felinheli, pleaded guilty to breaching section 37 of the Act and was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £7,886 in costs.
Details of the Incident
Llandudno Magistrates' Court heard that a mixture of board materials had been stacked vertically and left unsecured against a wall. Miss Bidwell may have been attempting to retrieve a plywood board when some of the boards fell, crushing her neck and causing fatal injuries. There were 28 boards in total, each large and potentially weighing up to 30kg. No attempt had been made to secure them, and the risk of them falling had not been identified.
HSE Investigation Findings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Varcity Living Limited failed to provide safe systems of work and adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision. These failures were attributed to the neglect of director David Horrocks. Investigators also found inadequate site supervision, no suitable lone working policy, no proper storage procedure for board materials, and inadequate risk assessment prior to the incident.
Victim Impact Statement
Miss Bidwell's mother, Clare Stephenson-Brown, read an emotional victim impact statement, saying her daughter was "full of life, energy and determination." She added: "She had so many talents and dreams: a skilled joiner, a rugby player, a surfer, a skydiver, and a young woman who was about to travel the world and begin her journey towards becoming a firefighter. She was wise beyond her years, brave, and incredibly grounded. Chloe died instantly and alone. The fact that she was by herself in those final moments is something that causes us unbearable pain and something we will carry forever."
HSE Inspector's Comments
HSE inspector Rachael Newman said: "Chloe was a young apprentice joiner at the very beginning of her career and had every right to expect that her employer would take the basic steps needed to keep her safe at work. The tragedy of Chloe’s death is made all the more jarring because it was so wholly avoidable. Apprentices should not be working alone on a construction site, and Chloe died in circumstances which should never have been able to happen."
