Plumbers in court over illegal gas work in Essex

James Outtridge, 61, of Upper Swains, Epping, was prosecuted after an
investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found work on
several gas appliances he had overseen, left them ‘at risk’.

Scott Wilson, 43, from Buckwells Field, Hertford, was prosecuted for
carrying out illegal gas work under Mr Outtridge’s supervision on one
occasion, also leaving appliances ‘at risk’.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard on 10 February that Mr Outtridge
was asked by the hotel landlord to install a gas-fired hot water boiler
at The Railway Hotel in Sawbridgeworth in November 2013.

Mr Outtridge arranged for the boiler to be installed by a gas fitter
who was not registered with Gas Safe Register to carry out private gas
work, as the law requires. This boiler was later found to have been left
‘at risk’.

Following a Food Hygiene inspection by an Environmental Health
Officer (EHO), Mr Outtridge was then asked to arrange for important gas
safety checks to be carried out on the gas appliances at the hotel. Mr
Outtridge again failed to use a Gas Safe registered engineer and the
landlord was supplied with a fraudulent report reassuring him that his
appliances were safe to use.

When the report was found by the EHO to be fraudulent, Mr Outtridge
arranged for Scott Wilson to repeat these safety checks. But Mr Wilson
was also not registered with Gas Safe register to carry out private gas
work, either.

James Outtridge of Upper Swains, Epping, Essex, was sentenced to 200
hours of unpaid community service, with the bench describing him as
‘highly culpable’. He was also ordered to pay costs of £1300 and a £60
victim surcharge for three breaches of Regulation 4 of the Gas Safety
(Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Scott Wilson of Buckwells Field, Hertford, Hertfordshire, was fined
£2000 and ordered to pay £611 in costs plus a £120 victim surcharge for
breaches of Regulation 3(1) and Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety
(Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

After the case, HSE inspector Sue Matthews said: “People can die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, and, by
their negligence, James Outtridge and Scott Wilson could have caused the
illness or death of the owner and employees at this hotel.

“The purpose of the Gas Safe Register is to protect the public from
gas work being carried out by people who have not been trained and are
not competent. On several occasions Mr Outtridge used persons including
Mr Wilson, who were not registered and had not been assessed as
competent by Gas Safe Register. Their actions endangered members of the
public, putting them at serious risk of injury and even potentially
death.”

Russell Kramer, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, added: “Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries a Gas Safe ID card, which
shows who they are and the type of gas appliances they are qualified to
work on. We always encourage the public to ask for and check the card and if
they have any concerns about the safety of work carried out in their
home or workplace, to speak to us. Every year we investigate thousands
of reports of illegal gas work. Call us on 0800 408 5500 or visit our
website at www.gassaferegister.co.uk.”