Informa Markets

Author Bio ▼

Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
December 17, 2008

Rogue gas-fitter carried on working despite warnings and TV investigation

A Sheffield gas-fitter has been prosecuted by the HSE for carrying out work without proper CORGI accreditation.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Andrew Goodison, trading as RGS Building Services and RGS Electrical and Building, carried out gas work on five properties in the Sheffield area between 2005 and March 2007.

In 2005 a customer of Mr Goodison contacted the HSE to complain about the standard of his work. The HSE subsequently wrote to Goodison to notify him that it is illegal to carry out gas work without proper accreditation.

On 3 October 2006, Goodison appeared on the BBC Watchdog television programme, after a number of his customers complained about his building work. The HSE promptly contacted all of the customers who appeared on the show, and learned that Goodison had carried out illegal gas work on some of the properties. The HSE wrote a second warning letter to Goodison, advising that it would prosecute him if he continued to make illegal gas repairs.

Following another complaint received in March 2007, the HSE decided to launch a full investigation to determine if Goodison was continuing to carry out gas work without accreditation.

The investigation found that Goodison had undertakrn illegal and unsafe gas work on five properties. The dangerous work practices included failing to cut through gas pipes and failing to cap the pipes to prevent a gas leak, servicing of a gas fire and leaving it in a dangerous condition, and fitting a gas hob using, instead of an appropriate gas fitting, paste, which would dry out over time and result in a gas leak.

Goodison pleaded guilty on 12 December to six charges of breaching reg.3(3) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations for carrying out work without proper accreditation, and also to one count of breaching reg.3(7) of the same Regulations for falsely claiming to be a registered gas installer. The court fined Goodison £1500 and gave him a three-year conditional discharge.

In mitigation, Goodison admitted that he should not have carried out the work but said that none of his clients had been injured. He also claimed to be “worse than penniless”, and any fine should be relative to his means.

HSE inspector Chris Chambers told SHP: “Mr Goodison shouldn’t have carried out the work without the proper accreditation. He put lives at risk, and some of his work was immediately dangerous. We would urge anyone who has had gas work carried out by Mr Goodison since April 2007 to contact the Sheffield office of the HSE.

“The HSE will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who break the law in this way and put people’s lives at risk.”

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