A plumber from Malswick has been fined £250 after he installed an oil fired boiler at a property that had the potential to cause death from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Nigel Grinnell, from Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act after Cheltenham Magistrates’ heard the boiler was installed in a compartment with inadequate ventilation and an unsuitable material, flue liner, linking the boiler into the chimney.
No problems were noticed for around six months until the householder came home to find the house full of smoke and fumes. The flexible flue liner had dipped to form a moisture trap. This had become full of water which had fully or partially blocked the flue. These conditions led to incomplete combustion and the spillage of products of combustion, including CO.