DIY gas thread - I'm confused

[Emit]

Simple answer to this thread check your house insurance.

 

[denso13]

the latest supposition is that Joe .has probably acted illegally

No supposition or probably about it. You can try and spin it anyway you want, the law is clear.

 

[boolie]

No supposition or probably about it. You can try and spin it anyway you want, the law is clear.

OK great .. now do you have any links of prosecutions? you're great at finding stuff. Just one will do.

 

[denso13]

now do you have any links of prosecutions?

Irrelevant. What about an FOI request to the HSE?

 

[boolie]

Irrelevant. What about an FOI request to the HSE?

It's relevant in the sense that it shows there is a very real consequence - I take it you cant find any

Just say so if you can't! not finding one doesn't mean there is no prosecutions - just that we're not searching using the right keywords

 

[denso13]

sense that it shows there is a very real consequence

Would you break the law if there were no consequences?

 

[boolie]

Would you break the law if there were no consequences?

I get the impression that you're worried about 'losing the argument' - that's fine. In my mind this is not a debate - it's a Q&A, if it will lower your defences then I concede that you have won the argument. Now you dont have to worry about losing a debate because there is no debate..

can you find any articles relating to DIY gas prosecution?

 

[denso13]

I get the impression that you're worried about 'losing the argument'

No, I'm worried about Joe, just trying to keep him out of trouble.

can you find any articles relating to DIY gas prosecution?

Not on Yahoo, what about an FOI request to the HSE?

 

[boolie]

No, I'm worried about Joe, just trying to keep him out of trouble.



Not on Yahoo, what about an FOI request to the HSE?

I wouldn't even know where to start with a FOI.. and I'm not that curious to do real paperwork

but you must admit, that it is quite curious that between the two us we are unable to find even one prosecution against a DIY gas installation. That's very odd


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They come up fairly often, usually when something goes wrong.
Some are reported in this magazine: https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/
It's treated as a civil matter if nobody died.
We apply stricter restrictions in this forum than the law may require, depending on interpretation.
==================================================
Mod

 

[CBW]

Thanks Mod.

 

[boolie]

Thanks for the link mod.. I went through all the historic headlines on their website (all 11 pages going back to 2018!).. there's plenty of:

• Lapsed gas engineer terminated boiler flue in loft
• Fake gas fitter pressured vulnerable customer for more money
• A landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence
• Takeaway owner is served with suspended sentence
• Kitchen fitter tried to cover up illegal and incompetent gas work
• Jail for illegal gas fitter who put his customers’ lives at risk
• etc, etc

still trying to find the golden nugget headline:
Joe Bloggs served with suspended sentence for DIY gas install in his own home

https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/category/gas-safe-news/page/10/

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's relevant in the sense that it shows there is a very real consequence - I take it you cant find any

Just say so if you can't! not finding one doesn't mean there is no prosecutions - just that we're not searching using the right keywords

I am very much on your side with this boolie, having suffered incompetent and dangerous work myself from professional and qualified gas installers, plus seeing lots more examples. From memory and in the recent past, I have seen at least three reported house explosions in the news which were suggested to be gas explosions. I would be interested in knowing the background to these and the actual cause of them.

 

[denso13]

I would be interested in knowing the background to these and the actual cause of them.

Would you carry out illegal gas work in your own home if you thought you would get away with it?

 

[boolie]

OK after some advanced keyword searching on google - the closest I could find is this (I know it's from 14 years ago - but the law hasn't changed):
Thief used illegal meter to take gas

Now the interesting thing is that BG prosecuted him for stealing - but by the looks of the article he didn't get done for the DIY gas part.
I would expect two charges:

1. Stealing
2. DIY gas install

but there was only one

 

[boolie]

Would you carry out illegal gas work in your own home if you thought you would get away with it?

Don't look at this from a micro level, look at it at a macro level - there's no point having rules if they are not enforced and their is no consequence.
Whether Harry, John or Jack would or would not do it is a moot point. If there is no consequence then, of course, many will do it. If it's law then it must be enforced - it's silly to suggest that you rely on individuals morals!