Landlord fined £8,500 for gas safety failure

A Pembrokeshire landlord has been fined £8,500 for failing to maintain a gas fire safely at one of his properties.

David Ian Douglas-Law, aged 63, of Penally, was also ordered to pay costs of £1,500 by Haverfordwest magistrates following a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The court heard Mr Douglas-Law’s tenant had originally raised a complaint with Pembrokeshire County Council environmental health officers over cold and damp conditions at the property in Oakridge Acres, Tenby.

On viewing the conditions at the property, council officers served Mr Douglas-Law an Improvements Notice under the Housing Act and reported concerns about the condition of the gas appliances to the HSE.

An HSE investigation discovered he had failed to maintain the gas fire in a safe condition, as well as failing, over a period of six years, to ensure the appliance was checked for safety every 12 months.

While no injuries were sustained, Mr Douglas- Law’s tenant and her son were prompted to visit the hospital to check for exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) after an alarm at the property indicated a high CO reading.

In summing up, the magistrate said Mr Douglas-Law had been extremely lucky that no harm had come to his tenants.

He had pleaded guilty to breaching clauses of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998.

Landlords have a legal duty to ensure gas appliances in any property they rent out are safetychecked once a year and that they provide a copy of the gas safety record to their tenants, said Paul Johnston, chief executive of the Gas Safe Register. It is also a requirement that they use a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out the work.

HSE inspector, Stephen Jones, added: “Where the evidence indicates that landlords such as Mr Douglas-Law have failed to meet their important safety responsibilities, HSE will take enforcement action including prosecution in the courts.”

source: Western Telegraph

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