A self-employed gas fitter has been jailed following unsafe work on gas appliances while unregistered.
In November 2014 the gas fitter was handed a Prohibition Notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which banned him from carrying out any gas work unless he gained the necessary competence and registered with the Gas Safe Register.
Following an investigation by the HSE, it was found that between 2 March 2018 and 22 March 2019, the gas fitter carried out work on gas appliances at seven addresses across England, and in one occasion he used a false name. His unsafe work was even featured on the BBC Watchdog programme.
The inspection found several defects on each gas appliance that the man worked on, including incomplete and defective flue joints, flues not sealed to the building structures, and dangerous decommissioning of a back boiler, all of which put the safety of the homeowners and their families at risk.
On sentencing, the gas fitter pleaded guilty to several offences under the Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974 and Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations SI 1998/2451.
Whilst on bail awaiting sentence he carried out more gas work whilst unregistered and subsequently pleaded guilty to two additional offences under the same legislation. He was jailed for 16 months.
Speaking following the hearing, HSE inspector Anthony Banks said that the gas fitter "knowingly defrauded homeowners and purposely misled them into thinking he was registered with Gas Safe Register".
He had "been warned on national television that he was breaking the law. The work he did was unsafe and he put several families at risk. It is only a matter of chance that no one was seriously harmed".
"All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer's identification and check the registration number online or ring the Gas Safe Register customer helpline".
