A PUB manager who allowed potentially dangerous gas work to be carried out on his premises in Royton has been successfully prosecuted.
On May 30, 2017, a qualified gas safe engineer carried out a routine safety inspection at The Duke of Edinburgh Pub on Market Street.
The engineer found the boiler was dangerous due to an inadequate flue being in place.
It was immediately isolated to make it safe and a report submitted by the contractor under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to Oldham Council.
The report highlighted that the boiler was in a dangerous condition, with the engineer stating that he had never seen anything so dangerous in his career.
An investigation was launched and OMBC officers found the work had been authorised by licence holder, Michael Wilson.
Wilson, of Moelydd, Trefonen, Oswestry allowed the boiler to be fitted by a customer who gave his name as ‘Jan’ and who claimed he was a plumber.
Wilson held no paperwork or any kind of documentation relating to the gas work undertaken at the pub.
On June 13, 2018, at Tameside Magistrates’ Court, Wilson pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 4 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
At a hearing on July 4 Wilson was sentenced to a 12-month Community Order and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.
He was also told to pay £1,477 council costs with an £85 victim surcharge.
Councillor Arooj Shah, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “In failing to make straightforward, simple checks, Wilson put the health and safety of his workers and customers at major risk.
“It is vital that business owners make reasonable efforts to obtain evidence that any person they ask, or pay, to carry out gas work is a registered Gas Safe engineer.”
Check if the Gas Safe Registration number of an engineer online: www.gassaferegister.co.uk/