Lapsed gas engineer failed to seal boiler flue
A lapsed gas engineer has received a community order for carrying out gas work and falsely claiming to be Gas Safe registered.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that, between 1 October and 25 November 2018, Paul Chappells carried out gas work at two homes in Hyde and Poynton. He replaced a gas fire and capped off the supply at the property in Poynton, and replaced a boiler at the property in Hyde. However, a Gas Safe Register investigations officer found that the boiler installation was At Risk because the flue had not been sealed, risking carbon monoxide poisoning from the products of combustion re-entering the property.
The HSE investigation found that Mr Chappells was not Gas Safe registered despite his social media account stating that he was. He had been registered in his previous employment.
Mr Paul Chappells of Withington, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(7), 26(1) and two breaches of Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a community order of 250 hours of unpaid work of 18 months duration, 15 rehabilitation activity days, and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.
