Christopher Dignam, trading at Blue Flame Plumbing and Heating Services, has received a suspended prison sentence after admitting he did not have the required safety registration to carry out the work he was doing.
Although Mr Dignam has never been on the Gas Safe Register, the body that ensures those who carry out gas work are competent to do so, he had fitted central heating boilers at two houses in Greater Manchester.
One of the two boilers fitted by him in November and December 2014 was found by a Gas Safe investigator to be ‘at risk’, meaning that faults were present which could constitute a danger to life or property.
Advertisements for Blue Flame Plumbing and Heating in two local publications showed a Gas Safe Register logo and a registration number which does not belong to Mr Dignam, confirming that he knew he should be Gas Safe Registered, the court heard.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Caroline Shorrock, said: “Mr Dignam showed a reckless and flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements. He knew he should be registered with Gas Safe and he exposed customers to a risk of serious injury or death.”
Mr Dignam pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulations 3(3), and for breaching 3(7) and 26(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 12 months custody, suspended for two years. Along with this, he was also ordered to pay £460 and £400 compensation to the two homeowners and £3,000 costs.