Cornwall caravan site owner operated without gas safety certificate

Date:

1 July 2011

A caravan at a site in Cornwall was rented out without gas safety certificates, a court heard today (1 July).

The site's owner, Shirley Cooper, was give a two year conditional discharge at Bodmin Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay £3,000 costs after failing to ensure gas appliances in the caravan were in a safe condition.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), prosecuting, told the court that Mrs Cooper was served with an Improvement Notice after she failed to provide a gas safety certificate for the caravan, which had a gas fire, cooker and boiler installed.

Despite the notice, she did not arrange for a registered gas fitter to check the appliances and issue a safety certificate for the caravan at Small Park, Little Trelower, Trelowth near St Austell.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector, Georgina Speake, said:

"Landlords have a legal obligation to ensure gas appliances are properly checked every year and are issued with certificates to prove the work has been done.

"Gas is a deadly killer and entirely preventable tragedies have taken place where carbon monoxide leaks have occurred."

Mrs Cooper, of Main Road, Colden Common, Winchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 by failing to ensure the appliances were safe, and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after she failed to comply with the Improvement Notice.

Further information on landlord's responsibilities for gas safety can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords.

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. Health and safety legislation is currently under the spotlight as part of the Cabinet Office's Red Tape Challenge. To have your say on which regulations should stay and which should be scrapped, visit: www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk and the Government will consider your views.
3. Regulation 36(2) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states: "Every landlord shall ensure that there is maintained in a safe condition any relevant gas fitting, and any flue which serves any relevant gas fitting, so as to prevent the risk of injury to any person in lawful occupation of relevant premises."
4. Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It is an offence for a person to contravene any requirement or prohibition imposed by an improvement notice or a prohibition notice."

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News and PR (South West)