The landlord of a property in Plymouth risked the lives of his tenants through a dangerous gas boiler installed in the flat.
Abdul Manik, 54, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Plymouth Magistrates following an investigation.
HSE began inquiries when Plymouth City Council alerted it to the lack of gas safety certificates for a number of flats at the property at Meadfoot Terrace. The council had asked him to provide certificates on at least seven separate occasions.
HSE served an improvement notice on Mr Manik, requiring him to undertake landlords’ gas safety check and maintenance, but this had not been done by the notice expiry date.
In December 2014, a gas engineer called in by one of the tenants at the flats found serious problems with the gas boiler at the flat and notified HSE. The gas boiler was classified by the Gas Safe registered engineer as ‘immediately dangerous’, meaning if operated or left connected to the gas supply it could cause an immediate danger to life or property. The boiler was replaced by Plymouth City Council after Mr Manik failed to undertake the necessary repairs.
Mr Manik pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulations 36(2) and 36(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and Section 33(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £11,000 and costs of £880 on Friday April 8, 2016.
HSE inspector, Simon Jones, speaking after the hearing, said: “Landlords have a legal duty to carry out gas safety checks and maintenance which are there to protect their tenants from death or injury.
“Mr Manik ignored repeated requests to carry out the checks and as a result, a serious fault with the gas boiler at one of the flats undetected until discovered by an engineer.”