A landlord employed the same illegal gas fitters that she used for her house on a rented property that she owned only a month later. The illegal fitting of boilers at her two properties resulted in her being prosecuted at Chelmsford Crown Court. 

At the hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court it was disclosed that HSE (Health And Safety Executive) undertook an investigation and found out that the landlord did not carry out proper checks to ensure that the gas fitters that she employed were competent. She failed to find out if they were in fact registered with the Gas Safe Register, which is a legal requirement for anyone carrying out any form of gas work.

The Colchester landlord was fined £950, however because she breached Regulation 36(4) of the Gas Safety( Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, she had to pay a further £4,000 in costs. 

The illegal fitters did not get away with it as they were sentenced at a different hearing for safety failings.

 

After the hearing, HSE principal inspector Toni Drury said:

“She did not do all that was reasonable to ensure those she employed to fit a boiler at her tenanted property were competent and legally allowed to do so. She therefore put the lives of her tenants at risk.

“Every year people die from CO poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maintained, or that are poorly ventilated. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can also cause fires, explosions or gas leaks.

“Unregistered gas fitters do not have the training, knowledge or experience to work on gas fittings safely. They endanger the lives of the public for financial gain, fraudulently avoiding the time and expense of becoming competent and registered.”

“HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those who put lives at risk.”

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 do have any concerns about the safety of work carried out in their home, to speak to us. Every year we investigate hundreds of reports of illegal gas work.”

P.I.M.S.co.uk says “Money is always tight these next few months and there is always a thought in the back of the mind about cutting costs. Employing registered Gas fitters will always save money in the long term and potentially save lives.”