Unregistered Gas Worker Sentenced

A Manchester based man, who advertised his plumbing and heating business as being Gas Safe Registered, has received a suspended prison sentence, after admitting he did not have, nor ever has had, the required safety registration to carry out gas work including the installation of boilers.
This became apparent after one of two boilers fitted by him in November and December 2014 was found by a Gas Safe investigator to be ‘at risk’ – meaning that faults were present which could constitute a danger to life or property.
The court hearing heard that he showed a reckless and flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements, exposing his customers to a risk of serious injury or death, where he pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulations 3(3), and for breaching 3(7) and 26(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 12 months custody, suspended for two years. He was ordered to pay £460 and £400 compensation to the two homeowners and £3,000 costs.
On a separate instance another gas fitter from Walsall has received a suspended prison sentence after he fitted a hob at a house in Tamworth when not on the Gas Safe Register, which also came to light after a registered fitter subsequently carried out repairs on the gas hob.
He also was charged with breaching Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations. He failed to appear in court on two separate occasions and was arrested. At Stafford Crown Court, he pleaded guilty and was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay £100 towards HSE’s costs.
And finally a Chelmsford based gas engineer has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service for putting tenants at risk in rented homes.
Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that he was actually Gas Safe- registered for some types of gas appliances, but had been carrying out work for which he was not competent.
He was found to have undertaken work on gas warm air units at five rented homes however did not hold the required qualification to undertake the work. He twice left the gas installations in an immediately dangerous condition, having left a gas leak following a repair and then failed to service a warm air unit correctly, leaving the tenants exposed to carbon monoxide. They were only alerted to the danger by their carbon monoxide alarm.
He pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and was sentenced to 120 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £2,527 and a victim surcharge of £60.