A company has been prosecuted along with its director after it breached serious gas safety laws following a construction project.

Plastic and Wood Specialists Ltd pleaded guilty of Regulation 8(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. It was fined £40,000 with over £1,419 in costs.

In addition, Company director Alan John Wager pleaded guilty to Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with over £1,419 in costs.

Northampton Magistrates' Court heard how the firm built a structure around the flue outlet for a boiler which was used by a childminder to shelter sleeping babies and young children.

-- Advertisement --

However, a carbon monoxide alarm sounded in the home and the gas supply was later disconnected by an emergency engineer from National Grid.

The court heard that the flue previously installed in the childminders home was made unsafe by the new structure, as it affected the boiler's safety.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the structure should not have been built in a way that partially enclosed the boiler flue. In addition, the flue should have been extended before the structure was completed, as dangerous levels of carbon monoxide had built up when the children were in the structure, potentially leading to a number of fatalities.

HSE Inspector Jenna McDade said: "Builders should be aware of the dangers arising from enclosing or partially enclosing a flue. As with this case, they would be at risk of breaching gas safety regulations even if they are not gas fitters. It is important to understand the risks before undertaking the work."

(LM)