Norfolk heating engineer fined for illegal gas work

Date:

28 March 2013

Release No:

HSE-E-015/13

A Norfolk heating engineer has been fined for illegally carrying out sub-standard gas work at a newly built home in Dereham.

Norwich Magistrates' Court heard today (28 March 2013) that between August 2011 and May 2012, David Scent, from Hingham, installed a gas boiler at a property on Sheldrick Place.

The home owner contacted Gas Safe Register to raise his concerns about the gas installation.

A Gas Safe investigator visited the address on 28th May 2012 and found the boiler pipework and flue had a number of 'at risk' faults.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was notified and established that Mr Scent had illegally installed the boiler without being registered with Gas Safe - a legal requirement for anyone undertaking work of this nature.

HSE also found that he had signed the commissioning certificate for the boiler using Gas Safe registration details of a previous employer who had no knowledge of the work.

Mr Scent, of Rectory Gardens, Hingham, Norfolk, was fined a total of £1,400 and ordered to pay £2,190 in costs after pleading guilty to two separate breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Steven Gill said:

"Mr Scent installed a gas boiler and gas pipework knowing he was not legally allowed to do so.

"People die from CO poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed, maintained or that are poorly ventilated. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Homeowners, landlords and tenants should always request ID and check their engineer is properly accredited."

Russell Kramer chief executive of Gas Safe Register, added:

"Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries a Gas Safe ID card, which shows who they are and the type of gas appliances they are qualified to work on.

"We always encourage the public to ask for and check the card and if they have any concerns about the safety of work carried out in their home, to speak to us. Every year we investigate thousands of reports of illegal gas work. Call us on 0800 408 5500 or visit our website at www.gassaferegister.co.uk."

Further information about gas safety can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/gas

Notes to editors

1. 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 for the purposes of this paragraph."
3. Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974, states: "It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."

Press enquiries

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

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by the Regional News Network