An unregistered gas fitter and his brother illegally installed a gas boiler and left it in a dangerous condition.
Lee Butterworth, 43, who trades as English Riviera Building Company, contracted his brother Scott Butterworth, 41, to carry out the work at a house at Crabtree Close, Plymouth.
The pair were prosecuted at Torquay Magistrates on August 21, 2015, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The court heard that Lee was carrying out extensive works on the house which included installing a new gas boiler. Lee arranged for his brother, Scott, to install the gas boiler and gas pipework despite him not being a member of Gas Safe Register.
After Scott had fitted the gas boiler, the homeowner then had a properly registered member of Gas Safe Register at his home to fit a gas cooker. That gas engineer found a gas leak on the gas pipework that Scott had installed and classed what he found as ‘Immediately Dangerous’ as there was a real risk of a gas explosion.
Lee, of Torquay, pleaded guilty to a single breach of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to ten weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years and also ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid community work and ordered to pay costs of £496.60.
Scott, of Paignton, pleaded guilty to two breaches of Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to ten weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years for each offence, to run concurrently, and also ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid community work and ordered to pay costs of £496.60.
HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: “Scott Butterworth was not competent or registered to work on gas appliances and this was clearly shown when his work left a gas installation which had a gas leak. It is extremely fortunate that there was not a gas explosion as a result of Scott Butterworth’s work.
“Lee Butterworth was in charge of this work and he should have ensured that anyone undertaking gas work on his job was properly registered with Gas Safe Register. A simple check on the Gas Safe Register website would have alerted him to the fact that his brother was not registered to do gas work, but Lee Butterworth did not do this simple check but allowed his brother to undertake illegal gas work.
“The poor standard of work in this case could have had tragic consequences for the homeowners.”