Suspended jail term for plumber who caused gas blast

A Wolverhampton plumber has been given a ten-month suspended jail sentence for causing a gas explosion and fire in which a pensioner suffered severe burns as he rescued his young granddaughter.

Peter Naylor, of Wednesfield, removed the gas meter at the bungalow in Arnhem Road to reach a leaking water stopcock he was repairing in December last year.

 Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that about 15 minutes after he had left  the property to buy a replacement stopcock fitting, the gas exploded, causing a fire which spread through the building.

 The HSE, prosecuting, told the court that the householder John Davies, 66, had to rescue his nine-year-old granddaughter from a back bedroom. She was unhurt in the incident, but badly shaken.

However, Mr Davies suffered 21 per cent burns to his face, neck & hands in the blaze. He spent six nights in hospital and needed a skin graft to his left arm and hand. His home has since been demolished as a result of  the damage caused by the fire.

The HSE's investigation found Maylor was not Gas Safe registered and had not isolated the gas installation correctly.

Peter William Naylor pleaded guilty to breaching Regualtion 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was given a ten-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to carry out 150 hours' unpaid work. The court also ordered him to pay £2,000 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Pamela Folsom said: "This case is a warning to unregistered individuals that they should never undertake gas work under any circumstances. "Anybody who carries out work on meters, boilers, hobs, ovens, fires or any other gas appliances without being on the Gas Safe Register is breaking the law.

"Mr Naylor believed he had the sufficient basic knowledge to work with gas but he was not authorized to do this and did not follow proper safety precautions.

"His incompetence caused an explosion that could easily have been fatal, and the resulting fire left Mr Davies with serious burns and a home so badly damaged that it had to be demolished."

Source :- Registered Gas Engineer - The official Gas Safe Register Magazine

Posted Date: 05th Oct 2011