the folly of not having a service/LGSC

Joined
28 Mar 2006
Messages
5,743
Reaction score
496
Location
Hedge End Hants
Country
United Kingdom
Southampton my local area. this would have cost them less than £300 had they used a reputable RGI to service the boiler!! :confused: :confused:


Tenants poisoned after landlords failed to service boiler


Two landlords and a gas service engineer have been fined a total of £19,000 after a mother and her six-year-old daughter were severely affected by carbon monoxide.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently brought a case against brothers Robert and David Watts, both of Woodlands, Southampton, at the city’s magistrates court. As landlords of the property where the couple were living they were repeatedly warned that the boiler needed servicing over a period of almost four years and failed to act.

Each man pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Robert Watts was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,500. David Watts was also fined £7,000 and he too was ordered to pay costs of £4,500.

David MacDonald of Hythe, Southampton, was the property’s gas service engineer, and declared the boiler safe to use three times when it was not. He pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching regulations 5(3) and 6(2) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 on dates between 6 April 2005 and 3 December 2007.

He was fined £4,500 for the first three offences - breaching regulation 5 (3) - and also fined £500 for breaching regulation 6 (2) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. McDonald was ordered to pay costs of £548.

The court heard that on 2 December 2007, Motoko Riley and her daughter Emily were at their home in Portswood Road, Southampton. Emily became ill and began to drift in and out of consciousness and Mrs Riley started to suffer bad headaches and began vomiting.

Both were removed from the house in a barely conscious state suffering from severe carbon monoxide poisoning and taken to hospital by a neighbour.

When HSE investigated the level of carbon monoxide produced by the central heating boiler in the family’s home, it was so high it was off the scale of the measuring equipment used by inspectors.

HSE inspector Ray Kelly said: “A mother and daughter were put at significant risk over a period of almost three years because of the actions of two landlords and their gas service engineer. The dangers associated with carbon monoxide exposure are well known. The landlords knew there were problems with ventilation at the property and failed to service the central heating boiler appropriately.

“This case shows that it is vitally important for landlords to understand and act upon their responsibilities around gas safety. It is only by sheer good fortune that this incident did not happen at night, or the consequences could have been far worse.”
 
Sponsored Links
We rent out the house in London that we were bequeathed, as a mixture of self contained flats and bedsits. For ease, we have a BG service contract which involves what should be a yearly service as well as the usual repairs. Although there can be some question regarding how good these services by BG actually are, they are willing to sign off the certificate yearly. We have a CO detector installed near the boiler (in the basin).

I can't understand why it's so difficult for a landlord to follow aeven the most basic of checks regularly. They make it "hard" and expensive for those that do try and do things safely and legitimately.
 
exactly dex the service / LGSC would cost £85 from us and we discount for loyalty so after first visit that would then be £69 hardly expensive!!
 
exactly dex the service / LGSC would cost £85 from us and we discount for loyalty so after first visit that would then be £69 hardly expensive!!
Pity you don't work in London :cry: :cry: I'd rather give the work to an independent who I trust
 
Sponsored Links
It is such a shame that people have to suffer the effects of CO poisoning in rented properties especially . Obviously, this happens elsewhere too, but one death from CO poisoning is one too many.
Although Landlords have a duty of care to their tenants, all to many do not have their appliances serviced every year - especially fires and other open flued appliances.
One Landlord said to me that paying out for a CO detector was far too expensive - I asked him how much value do you put on peoles lives? - he just shrugged his shoulders :!:
How can we ever win with this attitude?
 
I am confused, says they didnt get it serviced, but then also blames the gas service bloke?

Thought all boilers are room sealed anyway now?


Daniel
 
Daniel, there are still thousands of open flued boilers about. Ideal Mexicos and Baxi Bermuda back boilers to name but two.
 
I am confused, says they didnt get it serviced, but then also blames the gas service bloke?

Thought all boilers are room sealed anyway now?


Daniel


A LLGSC does not necessarily include a service. An inspection suffices presumably the fitter inspected and certified the boiler was safe, whereas it should have been serviced.

Personally, I refuse to LLGSC an open flued appliance without a proper service. But it costs me work
 
I am confused, says they didnt get it serviced, but then also blames the gas service bloke?

Thought all boilers are room sealed anyway now?


Daniel

Room sealed doesn't guarantee safety, In the last 2 weeks alone I have seen a couple of ecotecs with the case screw missing and not pinned to the clips leaving the room exposed to the boiler, as well as unsecured flues coming loose ect.
 
Room sealed doesn't guarantee safety, In the last 2 weeks alone I have seen a couple of ecotecs with the case screw missing and not pinned to the clips leaving the room exposed to the boiler.

So what are you suggesting? Have a serious think if the front case is the combustion cover?
 
Room sealed doesn't guarantee safety, In the last 2 weeks alone I have seen a couple of ecotecs with the case screw missing and not pinned to the clips leaving the room exposed to the boiler.

So what are you suggesting? Have a serious think if the front case is the combustion cover?

dhutch was assuming that because an appliance is room sealed their is no risk of fumes escaping, which isn't the case. Don't really understand the point of your question lee, sorry.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top