Heating and Ventilating

A Bradford gas fitter has been prosecuted for putting an elderly woman at risk when he fitted a new boiler at her home.
Gareth Harland fitted the boiler in February 2011 but failed to seal the flue to the building. The woman was unhappy with his work, called Gas Safe and discovered that he wasn't registered. A Gas Safe inspection subsequently classified the work as 'at risk'.

At around the same time (between 2 January and 2 February 2011) he had also fitted a new boiler for a couple in Otley. They found out that he wasn't on the Gas Safe register when he failed to contact the manufacturer about the boiler warranty. As a result, an investigation was conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Bradford magistrates were told that Mr Harland had been a registered gas engineer for a number of years and had worked for some large companies before setting up as a sole trader. He had allowed his registration to lapse in June 2010 but had continued to work as a gas installer. He re-registered in March 2011 when he was under investigation. In June 2011, while under the supervision of the Gas Safe Register, he fitted a gas boiler for a company in Bradford. When inspected by Gas Safe, that installation was also found to be unsafe.

Julian Franklin, HSE inspector, said: 'The failure of Mr Harland to maintain his registration and the fact that his work fell well below the standard expected, demonstrates an unacceptable degree of carelessness that left people, including a vulnerable elderly woman, in danger.'

Mr Harland admitted four charges under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 and was given a 12 months community order of 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,000 costs, plus £350 in compensation to the Otley resident for work to be re-done.