Faulty Gas Work Leads To Court Hearing for Landlord!

 

Faulty gas work is continuously being found to threaten the lives of innocent families. The latest news tells all about a Landlord receiving punishment for exposing risks of carbon monoxide poisoning to a family of 5 after mysterious man carried out boiler 'repairs' over a qualified professional who hadn't undertaken essential Gas Training Courses.

Pictured above is the remainders of sub-standard work as we see a flimsey tube being balanced on top of unsteady blocks as apposed to using a flue. Reports state that an engineer who was later called to the site was so alarmed that he ordered the gas company to cut off the home's supply immediately.

Even though he found someone to handle the repairs, he was still legally held responsible after giving the faulty gas work the go ahead. Judge Paul Darlow said he doubted whether anyone but the defendant had done the work as he stated

 “A botch job was done on the flue installation which represented a high level of risk to your tenants, visitors and anyone living in the neighbouring terraced houses.”

After matters had been heard in court, the Landlord pleaded guilty to failing to check all gas appliances annually by a qualified engineer who hadn't undertaken essential Gas Training Courses in order to be deemed as 'Gas Safe'.

After a Qualified Gas Engineer assessed the property, the prosecution stated that the flue had been replaced with a hose from a tumble drier which was not suitable for transferring carbon monoxide and combustible gases from the home.

In the words of the barrister:

“The engineer found that the boiler and flue was in a dangerous state which put residents immediately at risk.”

The court heard that the makeshift pipe was balanced on two wooden blocks which were unstable and could have led to the pipe rupturing.The barrister added that it was obvious the repairs were not done by a professional as there were not 'separate holes for the exit of carbon monoxide and the ingress of fresh air'.

This particular case was given significant attention as industry facts reflect a massive 40 people who died last year due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Arguments for the defendant state he was naive in the situation as he chose to take advice from friends rather than Qualified Gas Engineers. Proving to be no excuse for putting innocent lives at risk, the 'repairman' was hired on grounds of recommendation.

The final result for the Landlord saw him handed a 15-month prison sentence, a suspension for 2 years and an order for prosecution costs totaling £4,904.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Simon Jones commented:

“xxx put his tenants and their children at a very real risk of death from the gas work he arranged at his rental property, done by someone who was not competent to do it safely.

“Landlords must ensure they only use Gas Safe Register installers to work on gas appliances at their tenanted properties.

“Further, landlord’s must ensure that gas appliances at their tenanted properties are checked for safety at least every 12 months.”

The industry remains vigilant in cleaning up faulty gas work undertaken by those who haven't undergone essential Gas Training. The fact that 40 people died last year is truly unacceptable and we hope people out there are really considering the safety of those around them.