HSE/NW/019/07 1 October 2007

Gas Fitter fined £1,500 after water heater failure poisons 14 Bolton family members

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today warned gas fitters to ensure that they thoroughly check all gas appliances when carrying out gas safety inspections. The warning comes after a Bolton gas heating engineer failed to check a gas powered water heater resulting in 14 members of a family suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.

Craig Isherwood pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500 at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Mr Isherwood had been employed to visit the premises in Lowry Walk, Bolton on 20 December 2005 to carry out the Landlord’s Gas Safety Inspection on behalf of the council house management company Bolton at Home Ltd, but had failed to recognise that the Valliant water heater in the kitchen was gas powered.

After not being inspected or serviced, the boiler failed catastrophically on 10 January 2006 resulting in carbon monoxide fumes that affected 14 members of the extended Kara and Mohammed families, two of whom were detained in hospital overnight.

HSE Inspector Sandra Tomlinson who investigated the incident, said: "An omission such as this could have led to one or more fatalities.

"Mr Isherwood has five years experience and is a registered CORGI engineer which gives him a higher duty of care than a lay person and as such the highest standards are expected of him.

"This is an exeptional case on which HSE has felt it necessary to take action but  HSE still recommends that you ensure that any work carried out in relation to gas appliances in domestic or commercial premises is to be undertaken by a CORGI-registered installer, competent in that area of work – all of which reflects theseriousness of Mr Isherwood’s error."

Notes to editors

1. Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: “It shall be the duty of every employee while at work –
   1. to take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omission at work;
2. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, poisonous gas, that is produced by incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including fuel gas. When CO gets into the body, it prevents the blood from bringing oxygen to cells, tissues, and organs.
3. Every year approximately 20 people die from CO poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maintained. Many others also suffer ill health. This risk could be dramatically reduced by increasing consumer understanding of the risks and taking sensible precautions.
4. HSE strongly recommends the use of audible carbon monoxide (CO) detectors as a useful back-up precaution but they must not be regarded as a substitute for proper installation and maintenance of gas appliances by a CORGI-registered installer.

Public enquiries:

HSE's InfoLine: 0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG

HSE information and news releases can be accessed on the Internet www.hse.gov.uk

Issued on behalf of HSE by Government News Network North West.