AN unregistered gas fitter from Verwood has been prosecuted for an illegal and dangerous boiler installation.
Michael Smithers, 45, of Nightingale Close, undertook the work at Shelbourne Road in Bournemouth in December 2011 after falsely claiming to be qualified to carry out work on gas appliances.
He was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation established that he wasn’t a member of the Gas Safe Register – a legal requirement for anyone undertaking such work.
Smithers pleaded guilty to three separate breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was fined a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay £7,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Mehtaab Hamid said: “The Gas Safe Register exists to protect the public from people like Mr Smithers, who are prepared to work illegally and carry out potentially dangerous gas work. Those who undertake gas work must be on the Gas Safe Register. Anyone who works on gas appliances without being registered is breaking the law.
“Mr Smithers knew this and falsely claimed to be Gas Safe registered, yet he clearly wasn’t competent to carry out gas work – as demonstrated by the defects identified with his work.”
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