Home of woman and two children flooded with gas after pipe was cut
The Health and Safety Executive, or HSE, has prosecuted Shepherd's Bush Housing Association for undertaking unsafe gas work at a rented property in Fulham where a pregnant mother lived with her two children.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, Shepherd's Bush Housing Association pleaded guilty to breaching its responsibilities as an employer under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The court imposed a £2,500 fine, which took into account the "not for profit" status of the organisation and its previous record.
An HSE investigation found that in May 2014 a handyman who was not registered with Gas Safe Register was dispatched to cut a gas pipe that was causing a tripping hazard in the living room of Danielle Gough’s home in Fulham.
The housing association staff believed the gas pipe was not connected to the gas supply. When Ms Gough topped up her prepayment meter that evening, gas flooded into the property causing a serious risk of fire and explosion.
Fortunately, there were no injuries and there was no damage to the property.
HSE inspector Zameer Bhunnoo said: " It is essential that landlords have adequate procedures in place to ensure that an appropriately competent tradesperson is assigned for any repairs required. In this case, a Gas Safe registered engineer should have been used."
Shepherd’s Bush Housing Association, based in Flanders Road in Chiswick was also ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
The Health and Safety Executive, Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety has information on its website for gas consumers on what they need to know in order to manage gas appliances / equipment and what to do in an emergency. It also provides advice for landlord and letting agents on how to comply with the law.
Shepherd's Bush Housing Group has also given its support to the campaign for gas safety - read more about this here.
May 5, 2015