A timely warning to those seeking to cut costs or save time. By engaging the services of a reputable and registered practitioner, such as Your Plumber in Hull, AA Gas Services, this client could have saved time, money and a great deal of worry.
An unregistered gas installer put lives at risk and has been prosecuted for illegally carrying out work on a house in Hucknall, putting residents’ lives at risk. The “fitter” installed a new gas boiler during August and September 2009, but following problems with the new boiler the customer contacted the Gas Safe Register to check his registration status. It was discovered that he was not registered and should not have attempted to undertake such a job. The matter was then passed to the Health and Safety Executive for investigation. They found a number of defects on the boiler. There was a lack of earth bonding, the pipework sleeve was not sealed where it passed through the wall and the flue was not sealed on the inside or outside of the building. In addition, the pressure relief discharge pipe was sited above a doorway onto a walkway which could have resulted in hot water being expelled onto the occupants. The “fitter” pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court to breaching Regulation 33 of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and was fined £500 with costs of £200. After the hearing, HSE inspector David Butter said, “At the time of carrying out the work, this man was not registered with Gas Safe, and some of the work carried out put residents at risk”.
In order to work legally in the UK, gas installers must be registered with the appropriate approved body. It is essential that homes and businesses check this before having work carried out to ensure the job is completed to a high standard and most of all, is safe. Remember, badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. The message to everyone, therefore, is clear – check the engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card before letting them begin work and check the details online. If you are in any doubt, why not contact your Plumber in Hull, AA Gas Services, to ensure peace of mind in the knowledge that our engineers are all Gas Safe registered and are fully trained in the fitting and maintenance of your boiler? Don’t take a chance with gas, it simply isn’t worth it!
