Informa Markets

Author Bio ▼

Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
December 7, 2011

Local authority fined £20k for gas leak at community centre

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has admitted failing to ensure that regular gas safety checks were undertaken at 38 of its properties.

Fenton Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 30 March 2009, members of a bridge club using the Whitfield Community Centre called engineers to report a gas leak after smelling an odour. When engineers arrived they could not find a gas leak but the smell remained, so the treasurer of the community centre called the Fire Service. Fire-fighters confirmed there was an extremely high level of carbon monoxide present in the building and engineers subsequently returned to locate the source of the leak.

Engineers found that sections of a flue in the loft had come apart and the gas had built up and started to flow through an open trapdoor into a storeroom off the main hall. Following the incident, a member of the public reported the gas leak to the HSE and inspectors visited the centre to begin an investigation.

The HSE learned that Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council owned the building and was responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. The council had failed to renew a contract for gas safety checks to be carried out at the centre, and 37 other properties it owned, which included nine residential homes. As a result, the boiler at the community centre had not been checked for nearly two years.

HSE inspector Lynne Boulton told SHP that the boiler at the community centre was in an awful condition and the council should have ensured that regular gas safety checks were carried out at all of its properties. She said: “This incident could have had much more serious consequences, particularly as elderly people and children, who are more vulnerable to the effects of this dangerous gas, use the centre regularly.

“All property owners must make sure their gas appliances are checked each year by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. Organisations such as local authorities, which own a large number of properties, must have robust management systems in place to monitor safety critical contracts.

“It is unacceptable that members of the public were put at risk by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s failure to take proper measures to protect them.”

The council appeared in court on 2 December and pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the HSWA 1974, and reg.5 of the MHSWR 1999. It was fined a total of £20,000 and £27,550 in costs.

In mitigation, the council said it immediately replaced the boiler and has improved its management systems by introducing an electronic diary, which sends a notification when contracts are due for renewal.

The Safety Conversation Podcast: Listen now!

The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments