GNN398/W/07 30 July 2007

Cynon Valley man jailed for carrying out unauthorised gas work

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning anyone having gas appliances fitted or serviced to ensure the engineer they are using is competent and CORGI registered.

The warning comes after a Cynon Valley man was jailed for four months for carrying out work in breach of a prohibition notice issued by HSE.

Ken Parry, from Alma Street, Trecynon, Aberdare also pleaded guilty to charges relating to carrying out work while not CORGI registered, and making false entries on landlords’ gas safety records.

Parry, and his company Ken Parry Heating and Construction Ltd, were served with prohibition notices by HSE in January 2005 as a result of an investigation into gas fitting work undertaken, where there was a spillage of combustion products from the appliances concerned. 

But Parry had been carrying out work across South Wales since the issue of the prohibition notice, and one of his customers reported him to HSE after she checked the CORGI registration number he had entered on gas safety certificates and found it to be registered to another, unrelated gas fitter.

HSE inspector Hugh Emment said: "This case is doubly disturbing because this individual was purporting to be CORGI registered when he clearly was not.

"All CORGI registered fitters carry a card which gives their registration number and details of the appliances on which they have had their competence assessed. Anyone who is in any doubt can call CORGI on 0800 915 0485.

"While gas appliances which are correctly fitted and maintained are extremely safe, incorrectly fitted or poorly maintained appliances can give rise to carbon monoxide which is odourless, colourless and can result in illness or death.

"This case also provides a salutary warning for anyone doing gas work without the correct training or registration – HSE will take the strongest action possible against anyone who does not comply with the law. Their behaviour is putting lives at risk."

Notes to Editors

1. The charges against Ken Parry were:
   • One charge under section 22 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, relating to the issue of prohibition notices in activities which are considered to be likely to risk serious personal injury.
   • One charge under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, regulation 3(3), which states “no employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and no self-employed person shall carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of this paragraph.”
   • One charge under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, regulation 36 relating to the use of a false CORGI registration number on the landlords’ gas safety records.
2. Further information on domestic gas safety is available on the HSE website: hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by Government News Network Wales.