Fire Safety

Walsall Magistrates’ Court heard that the boiler was only replaced in October this year despite having broken down in January 2011.  The landlord also did not have a landlord’s gas safety certificate for the appliances in the property until last month, despite being issued with an Improvement Notice from HSE in March requiring him to provide the certificate by 6 May 2011.

The court also heard that when the new boiler was installed last month, a gas engineer condemned the cooker in the property as dangerous and isolated it.

Speaking after the hearing, a HSE inspector said:

"The landlord has shown complete disregard for the safety and welfare of his tenants.  He left them with no central heating during one of the coldest winters in recent memory.

"Landlords must ensure all gas appliances are checked for safety at least once a year and provide a gas safety certificate for the property to show tenants that this has been done.

"Even after HSE issued an Improvement Notice six months ago, the landlord only produced a landlord’s gas safety certificate in October.

"Poorly maintained gas appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can kill and can also cause serious long-term health problems. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include nausea, dizziness, tiredness, vomiting, collapse and loss of consciousness.

"HSE will not hesitate to prosecute landlords who fail in their duty of care to tenants in this way."

The landlord pleaded guilty yesterday to breaching Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 36(3)(a) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs.