Illegal gas fitter sentenced to community service

Date:

21 October 2010

Release No:

HSE-E-37

A self-employed plumber has been prosecuted for continuing to carry out illegal work on gas boilers in Luton despite orders to stop.

James Tennyson, 55, of Rutland Crescent, Luton, admitted breaching health and safety laws when he appeared at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court today.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had warned Mr Tennyson in 2003 about carrying out work on gas fittings when he was not registered to do so, a legal requirement for anyone carrying out such work.

However, HSE earlier this year learned that Mr Tennyson had again worked illegally on gas appliances. Legitimate gas engineers told HSE the plumber had left gas boilers in dangerous conditions at two homes in the area - one in Polegate, Luton, and the other in Houghton Regis.

Magistrates ordered Mr Tennyson to 180 hours of community service and ordered him to pay £250 costs. He had already received a formal notice prohibiting him from continuing with gas work until competent enough to do so.

After the sentencing, HSE Inspector Stephen Manley, said:

"It is illegal for an unregistered person to carry out work on a gas appliance. When unqualified workers try to bypass the law in this way they are not only putting themselves at risk of prosecution and a large fine, they are also putting their customers' lives at risk as Mr Tennyson did here.

"Working with gas appliances is difficult, specialised and potentially very dangerous. Only qualified and registered engineers should attempt it.

"HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those who break the law in this way."

Mr Tennyson admitted two breaches of Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 and one breach of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Paul Johnston, chief executive of Gas Safe Register added: "Dangerous gas work can deadly. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. If you're having gas work done, no matter how big or small the job, only use a Gas Safe registered engineer. And always check the engineer's ID card to make sure they are qualified for the work you need doing. Just because an engineer can work on boilers doesn't mean he can automatically fit a gas fire."

Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas engineers who are registered to work safely and legally on gas appliances. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. To find an engineer go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500. Always check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 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."
3. Section 3(2) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who maybe affected thereby, are not thereby exposed to risks to their health and safety."
4. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning - always use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service gas appliances.
5. Gas Safe Register is the government approved registration scheme for gas engineers in the UK, Isle of Man and Guernsey. The register of 126,000 gas engineers, aims to protect 21 million gas consumers from dangerous gas work. It is a legal requirement for any gas engineering business or self employed gas engineer carrying out domestic or commercial gas work to be registered under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998.
6. Gas Safe Register replaced the CORGI gas registration scheme in Great Britain and Isle of Man on 1 April 2009 and in Northern Ireland and Guernsey on 1 April 2010.
7. To find or check a Gas Safe Registered engineer in your area, go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.
8. Please visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm for more information about gas safety specifically.

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