Lapsed engineer left gas escape at chippy
A lapsed gas engineer from Bolton has been given a suspended prison service after carrying out dangerous gas work.
Bolton Crown Court heard that Anthony Lord, trading as Lord HBA, carried out gas work at two premises in Bolton – Gilnow Chippy and Hamzah Sweets & Bakers – in March 2017. In July that year, a Gas Safe Register inspector found a gas escape at Gilnow Chippy – classed as Immediately Dangerous – as well as numerous At Risk faults on the ventilation and extraction systems.
The HSE found that Mr Lord’s Gas Safe registration had expired around a year before he carried out the work, which meant that he was working illegally. He had continued to use his former employer’s registration details.
Anthony Lord of Sevenoaks Drive, Bolton pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(3), 3(7) and 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 210 hours of unpaid work plus 20 days of rehabilitation activity.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Ian Betley said: “Anthony Lord undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do and pretended to be Gas Safe registered. HSE will not fail to take the appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”