Illegal gas fitter fined £38,000
14/06/2010
An illegal gas fitter has been fined £38,000 after his work caused high levels of carbon monoxide to endanger lives.
Chris Bradshaw, of Tywyn, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Pwllheli Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay costs of £15,711.
Mr Bradshaw was fined £10,000 after after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 22 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by working in non-compliance with a prohibition notice and was fined £2,000 for each of the 14 breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1988 he also pleaded guilty to.
The HSE took action against Mr Bradshaw, who was trading under the name Chris Bradshaw Heating and Plumbing, after it received a complaint about work he did at a domestic property in Tywyn.
Work carried out at two further properties was then also investigated.
The court heard that in April 2007, Mr Bradshaw had installed a combination boiler and gas hob which were not properly converted from natural gas to LPG propane and when in use produced very high levels of dangerous carbon monoxide (CO). Both installations had numerous risks and were not to current safety standards.
HSE Inspector, Gary Martin, said: "Mr Bradshaw has shown a blatant disregard for the law, codes of practice and standards regulating the domestic gas safety market. Fitters who try to work beyond their assessed competence are not only breaking the law but could also cost lives."
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