Cardiff gas fitter fined for working without registration

Date:

26 October 2011

A gas fitter installed a boiler in a domestic property despite not being Gas Safe registered.

Anthony Goddard, of Heol y Gors, Whitchurch, was fined a total of £600 and ordered to pay £2,700 costs at Cardiff Magistrates Court in the case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The court heard that Mr Goddard carried out the work at a property in the Ely area in the summer of 2010. Another registered gas engineer, called in for a different job, told the householder the work on the boiler was not done to current standards.

After further investigation, HSE inspectors discovered that Mr Goddard had signed a document implying that he was registered to do the work, however he had a false registration identification number. He had also previously signed a declaration letter, sent to him by the HSE earlier that year pledging not to carry out work on gas appliances until he was registered.

HSE Inspector, Catherine Toozer, speaking after the hearing, said:

"It is a legal requirement for anyone working on gas appliances to be registered with Gas Safe Register.

"The law is there to protect the public from potentially faulty work which could have lethal consequences. Gas is a deadly killer and entirely preventable tragedies have taken place when work has not been done properly."

Paul Johnston, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, said:

"Every Gas Safe registered engineer has an ID card. We always encourage consumers to check the card before getting anyone to work on their gas appliances. You can also check an engineer by phoning us on 0800 408 5500 or looking on our website at www.gassaferegister.co.uk to ensure they are who they say they are and that they are qualified to carry out that particular type of job."

Anthony Goddard pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 3(3) and 3(7) of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 and was fined £600. He was also ordered to pay costs of £2,700 and £1,480 in compensation to the property owners.

Further information for gas engineers can be found on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/installer.htm

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 and 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. Regulation 3 (7) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 states: No person shall falsely pretend to be a member of a class of persons required to be approved under paragraph (3) above.

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