Unregistered gas installer put Lincolnshire lives at risk

Date:

27 May 2011

Release No:

HSE/EM/193/11

An unregistered gas installation company and its director illegally carried out work on properties across Lincolnshire, putting residents' lives at risk.

Lincoln Crown Court heard employees of UK Oil and Gas Ltd, including director, Martyn Crute, carried out gas fittings and service pipework in several domestic properties between 23 February 2008 and 19 November 2008, despite not being registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).

The company, which operated shops called Embers in Horncastle and Sleaford and has since ceased trading, also installed two gas combination boilers in an unsafe manner potentially risking people's lives.

A large number of complaints were received about work UK Oil and Gas Limited undertook including from 14 rented properties and one from an elderly couple who had their boiler condemned - costing them hundreds of pounds to fix on top of the original installation costs of more than £2,000.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Martyn Crute for breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 while UK Oil and Gas Limited of Carre Street, Sleaford were charged with breaching three sections of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Both parties pleaded guilty and were today given fines totalling £8,000

Mr Crute was fined £2,000 with £41,000 costs and UK Oil and Gas Ltd were handed a £6,000 fine.

HSE Inspector Sarah Jardine said:

"At the time of carrying out the work, Mr Crute's company was not registered with CORGI, and some of the work carried out put residents at risk.

"As the director of UK Oil and Gas Ltd, Mr Crute misled vulnerable people, abused their trust and undertook work which cost one couple hundreds of pounds to put right and make safe.

"In order to work legally in the UK, gas installers must be registered with the appropriate approved body. It is essential that homes and businesses check this before having work carried out to ensure the job is completed to a high standard and most of all, is safe."

Corgi has since been replaced with the Gas Safe Register.

Paul Johnston, chief executive of Gas Safe Register said:

"All gas engineers have to be Gas Safe registered - it's the law, and we work closely with HSE to deal with those that aren't registered.

"Gas fitters working unregistered like Mr Crute are unfortunately more common than one might think - we estimate they're doing 250,000 illegal jobs each year.

"Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. Our message to everyone is clear - check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card before letting them begin work."

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. These offences occurred prior to Gas Safe replacing CORGI.
3. If you want to check that your gas fitter is Gas Safe registered, log on to www.gassaferegister.co.uk and follow the link to 'check an engineer'. If the engineer is registered, you will be provided with a list of details including a picture of the engineer, contact details of the Gas Safe registered business and what gas work they are qualified to carry out.
4. If you suspect your gas fitter is working illegally, log on to www.gassaferegister.co.uk to report them immediately. Alternatively, call 0800 408 5500 for further information.
5. Free advice on gas safety is available from the HSE Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363 (freephone service) and by visiting www.hse.gov.uk
6. The requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 breached in this case are:
   UK Oil and Gas Oil Ltd
   • Regulation 3(3) states that no employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipe work and no self-employed person shall carry out as 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 to carry out such work.
   • Two breaches of Regulation 26(1) in that they installed gas appliances, namely a Baxi Platinum 33HE gas combination boiler and a Baxi Platinum 28HE gas combination boiler in such a way as to constitute a danger to persons.
   Martyn Crute
   • Section 37 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "Where an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to have been attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly."
7. On the 18 November 2011, a Judge at the Court of Appeal reduced the costs imposed against Mr Crute from £41,000 to £25,000.

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News & PR East Midlands