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A property management company has recently been fined £40,000 after a homeowner sustained burns when gas escaping from an open-ended pipe ignited.
When the case went to trial, North Somerset Magistrates’ Court heard that following pre-sale refurbishment work at a property in Chard, a gas cooker was disconnected from the gas pipe, but the pipe was not sealed off properly leaving an open-ended pipe connected to the mains gas supply, which was only turned off at the meter. The cooker hob was removed during refurbishment in late summer 2018 when the property was empty.
When the new owner of the property moved in early the following year, he turned the gas on to use the central heating boiler. Unfortunately, he had not been made aware of the open pipe which immediately began to leak gas. As he was trying to turn on his cooker, the leaked gas ignited. This resulted in a small explosion and fire. The homeowner sustained smoke inhalation and burns, which required hospital treatment
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company in control of the refurbishment work had failed to ensure so far as was reasonably practicable that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety from the gas installation. The company was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,105.90
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Dawn Lawrence said: “This was a terrifying incident for the homeowner and could have proved fatal.
“Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work. Homeowners and residents can check that a gas engineer is correctly registered through the Gas Safe website.
“HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate action against those who fall below the required standard.”
LettingsONE use only registered, qualified gas engineers to maintain and service the properties we manage to protect our landlords interests. If you are interested in any of our property management services for your rental property, please get in touch with our friendly lettings and property management team on 0161 511 5339 or complete our contact form.
