Lancashire man fined for gas safety offences

Date:

22 April 2010

Release No:

HSE/NW/008Hewitt

A Lancashire plumber has been fined £750 after forging gas certificates and deceiving homeowners.

Geoffrey Hewitt, aged 39 (born 25/06/70), of Gordon Street, Bacup, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today. He pleaded guilty to three health and safety offences after he illegally carried out work at homes in Wren Street, Lyndhurst Road and Saxon Street in Burnley between March and May 2007.

Mr Hewitt posed as Jordan Rogers of Gas Heating Services Ltd when issuing gas safety certificates and a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to attend two previous hearings.

Mr Hewitt, of ACME Plumbing and Heating Services in Burnley, was charged at Reedley Magistrates' Court with three offences under Section 33(1)(m) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after he supplied forged Landlords' Gas Safety Certificates.

Dorothy Shaw, HSE Principal Inspector, said:

"Geoffrey Hewitt put lives in danger by issuing fake Landlords' Gas Safety Certificates, despite not being qualified to know whether the gas fittings in the houses he visited were dangerous or not.

"He worked in people's homes over several months. By producing the fake certificates, he was able to gain money from unsuspecting landlords and potentially risking poisoning homeowners with carbon monoxide.

"People should always make sure that gas fitters are registered by checking ID before allowing people to carry out work. HSE will continue to prosecute anyone who carries out work without adequate training, or who falsely claims to be a registered gas engineer."

The Gas Safe Register has replaced CORGI as the official gas safety registration scheme in Great Britain. All gas fitters must become members of the register before carrying out any work.

Homeowners and landlords can check whether a gas engineer has a valid licence card by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

Notes to editors

1. Section 33(1)(m) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It is an offence for a person with intent to deceive, to forge or use a document issued or authorised to be issued under any of the relevant statutory provisions or required for any purpose thereunder or to make or have in his possession a document so closely resembling any such document as to be calculated to deceive."
2. Gas installers undertaking gas installation and maintenance work must be registered with a body approved by the HSE. CAPITA has been awarded the contract to provide a new gas installer registration scheme in Great Britain from April 2009.
3. Visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/gas-cowboys.htm for more information about the Gas Safe Register.

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