Nigel Paul Chadwick, of Benjamin Road, Wrexham was fined a total of £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs after pleading guilty to a breaches of of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
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Chadwick repaired a leak on a gas cooker at a house in Wrexham, but failed to identify another leak in the system, greatly increasing the risk of fire or explosion. Fortunately the householder noticed there was still a problem and reported it to Transco who made it safe.
HSE inspector Barbara Francis said: "We will prosecute people who work on gas appliances without the proper accreditation. In this case, the risk was fire or explosion but improperly maintained appliances can also give rise to carbon monoxide (CO) which is potentially lethal. You cannot see, smell or taste CO fumes, leaving anyone exposed feeling unwell. In the worst situations, CO can kill without warning in just hours.
"The law requires that only trained, competent people work on gas appliances, and the only accreditation currently recognised by HSE is membership of CORGI. If you are having gas work done, always check the fitter’s CORGI identity card before you let them start work."
(JM)
