Personal Injury Solicitors

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted an illegal gas fitter who put lives at risk when he carried out work in homes at Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria.

Self-employed Frederick Stephen Cowell trading as SC Services carried out gas fitting work on around 40 homes in the town without being registered as an authorised gas fitter with Gas Safe. Under UK law, all contractors who work with gas appliances should be registered with Gas Safe.

Mr Cowell had also carried out work to gas fires at 25 of the properties, although he was not qualified to do this. The HSE first became involved in the case when an HSE inspector witnessed Mr Cowell removing a gas fire from a property in July 2012.

An investigation found that he had previously been registered with Gas Safe through his former employer but his registration had expired in April 2011 – more than a year before he carried out the work. Despite this, Mr Cowell had continued to carry out gas work and potentially put lives at risk, Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard.

Cowell eventually joined the Gas Safe Register in September 2012 – but subsequently failed to carry out annual gas safety checks properly and on two occasions that month made entries in the records for operating pressures, which were clearly false, the court heard.

On Wednesday (19/03/14) at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, 66-year-old Cowell of St Michaels Lane in Appleby-in-Westmorland pleaded guilty to one breach of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, by not being registered to carry out gas work – and two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, by making false entries on two annual gas safety records.

Cowell was fined £1,900 and ordered to pay £4,123 in prosecution costs.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Matthew Tinsley said:

“Mr Cowell potentially put lives in danger by carrying out gas work he wasn’t qualified or registered to do.

“Even after HSE’s intervention, he did not work diligently – and made clearly false entries on annual gas safety records rather than carrying out the checks properly.

“Gas work can be extremely dangerous if it isn’t carried out by trained professionals. That’s why it is a legal requirement for everyone who works with gas to be registered with Gas Safe.

“Mr Cowell knew he needed to be registered but he still took money for work at dozens of homes in Appleby.”

Chief executive of Gas Safe Register Russell Kramer said:

“Gas work should only be carried out by those who are qualified and competent to do so.

“Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries an ID card that shows who they are and the kind of work they are qualified to carry out – always check the card by calling 0800 408 5500 or visiting gassaferegister.co.uk.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitor

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise on making a no win no fee claim for injuries which occur as the result of the negligence of a building contractor or tradesman – including faulty gas fitting which leads to carbon monoxide poisoning or other injuries.

Claimants have three years from the date of the injury to make a no win no fee compensation claim.

For expert legal advice on making a claim for carbon monoxide poisoning or other injury which resulted from the negligence of a building contractor or tradesman, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.