MANUFACTURER JAILED AFTER FORGING VALVE SAFETY CERTIFICATES FOR OIL AND GAS PLATFORMS

HSE press release: E176:03 - 12 September 2003

Valve manufacturer Paul Timson was jailed for 15 months at Derby Crown Court today (Friday September 12) after forging valve safety certificates for oil and gas platforms.

At a previous hearing, Timson, aged 47, of Arleston House Farm, Arleston, Derbyshire, admitted 19 charges of forging safety certificates for ball valves, one charge of using forged business documents for financial gain, and three charges of supplying unsafe valves.

The case was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following a joint investigation by Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The forged business document related to a loan issued by a bank, and the charges of supplying unsafe valves followed detailed advice provided by HSE. All the offences related to a time when Timson was trading as Nixon Industrial Valves and VSL Valve Products Ltd., both based at Airfield Industrial Estate, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, between March 1997 and June 1998.

Timson admitted failing to test the valves and to forging certificates showing the valves had been tested to various safety specifications. Timson was sentenced to 15 months concurrent on each of the forgery charges, with no separate penalty on the health and safety charges. A full list of charges is in the attached appendix.

HSE issued an official safety alert in May 1999 after one of Timson's customers noticed inconsistencies in safety certificates supplied with the valves. Twenty valves were recovered by HSE and half failed standard pressure tests. Laboratory checks showed they had manufacturing faults including missing springs, seals and specialised ball and seat coating, and damaged balls and seats; all of which made the valves unsafe in

After the case, HSE inspector Nick Marshall said: "Safety tests and certification aren't just extra paperwork - these valves were for use in key safety systems in platforms across the world and if they'd failed, Timson's actions could have cost many lives.

"Thankfully no one offshore was injured as users removed the valves at considerable expense after HSE's safety alert. It was a serious offence and that's reflected in the sentence.

"This case shows that how vitally important it is end users ensure that equipment has the proper safety certification. These offences first came to light as a result of spot checks on the paperwork.

"HSE will always call in the police where it finds forged certification - it not only endangers the health and safety of people at work, but it's a criminal offence which attracts forgery and deception charges for which people can be jailed."

Notes to editors

1. Section 6(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that: "It shall be the duty of any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any article for use at work to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the article is so designed and constructed that it will be safe and without risks to health at all times when it is being set, used, cleaned or maintained by a person at work, (and) to carry out or arrange for the carrying out of such testing and examination as may be necessary for the performance (of this duty)."

2. Section 1 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 states that a person is guilty of forgery if he makes a false instrument with the intention that he or another shall use it to induce somebody to accept it as genuine. Section 16 of the Theft Act 1968 relates to obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.

3. Timson had pleaded guilty to 19 charges under section 1 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, 1 charge under the Theft Act 1968, and 3 charges under Section 6(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at a hearing a Derby Crown Court on 14 July 2003.

4. At Crown Court, the maximum sentence for offences under Section 6(1) is an unlimited fine.

5. Digital photographs of the valves from the Health and Safety Laboratories, and video animation of the valves, which formed part of the case, are available on request.

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