Boilers - Landlords reminded to maintain gas boilers

03/01/2008

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded landlords of the need to maintain gas appliances such as boilers or face heavy fines.

The warning comes after landlord Lea Fields of Grimsby was prosecuted for failing to have the gas appliances in a home she was letting checked by a Corgi-registered gas installer.

Ms Fields was sentenced to 200 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £500 after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

She was prosecuted after failing to act on an improvement notice from the HSE, which uncovered dangerous leaks during an inspection.

HSE Inspector Chris Chambers said: "Landlords can't hide their heads in the sand when it comes to gas safety. It's their legal duty to ensure that all gas appliances and flues are maintained in a safe condition and are checked for safety at least once a year by a Corgi- registered gas installer.

"Landlords who fail to do so put lives at risk and may end up with a substantial fine or even imprisonment."

Heat and Plumb offers a range of state of the art boilers from Vokera, Trianco and Vaillant which minimise the likelihood of breaking down and potentially lethal gas leaks.