David Coulson, company director of Coulson Constructions North East Ltd, has been prosecuted following an incident where a gas boiler was left in a dangerous condition at a residential property.
Mr Coulson was undertaking construction work at the property to build an extension, the work affected the safe working condition of the gas boiler and flue at the property. The mother and her two children who were living at the property while the work was undertaken were placed at serious risk of ill health including carbon monoxide poisoning, due to Mr Coulson's work.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Coulson had not made the gas system in the property safe before or during construction. This allowed the fumes and the poisonous gases from the boiler to flow into the house. He was also declared not to be Gas Safe registered.
At Court, Mr Coulson pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The judge sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months, along with 250 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay costs of £5,200.
HSE inspector Paul Wilson, said: "Construction work can and must be planned properly to ensure the health and safety of those potentially affected throughout the building project."
"Any work on a gas system, including the boiler in our houses, must always be carried out by competent gas engineers, namely those accredited with Gas Safe Registration. Not to do so is both illegal and potentially very dangerous."
