Plumbers sentenced for carrying out illegal gas work

Date:

16 December 2010

Release No:

HSE-E-47

Two plumbers from Hertfordshire who put people at risk by illegally working on domestic gas appliances have been sentenced.

Paul Fromet, of Cordell Close, Cheshunt and Michael Wright of Lodge Crescent, Waltham Cross, were asked to fit a boiler in a house in Hargrave Road, Chevington, Suffolk that was due to be rented out by the landlord.

Bury St Edmunds Magistrates' Court heard that a complaint had been made about the installation to Gas Safe which was then passed to HSE and an investigation followed. Neither plumber was registered with Gas Safe, the compulsory registration scheme for gas engineers.

The boiler had not been adjusted to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which supplied the property. As a result of this failure, tests on the boiler during operation showed that it was producing exceptionally high levels of carbon monoxide - more than 200 times the manufacturers' specification.

Both men admitted breaching Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. Both Mr Fromet and Mr Wright received a two-year conditional discharge and were ordered to pay costs of £250 each.

HSE Inspector Edward Crick, 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.

"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."

Paul Johnston, Chief Executive of Gas Safe Register added:

"If you're employing an engineer to fit, fix or service gas appliances, you should always make sure that person is Gas Safe registered. If they say they are, don't just take their word for it. Check they are on the Gas Safe Register and check their ID card when they arrive at your door.

"You shouldn't take any risks, badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning."

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. A conditional discharge means that, should the defendants appear in court again within the next two years, this prosecution would be held against them.
3. 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."
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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