The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has taken court action against a landlord who exposed her tenant to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by not making sure a gas fire at the rented property was properly checked and certified as safe.

The HSE found that – between 25 July, 2007 and 5 January, 2009 – landlord Helen Jayne Beckett failed to ensure that a gas fire in her rented property at Flat 1, 22 Sea View Street in Cleethorpes had been checked for safety.

Despite being served with an improvement notice by the HSE in November 2008, Ms Beckett failed to have the necessary checks carried out by the required date and in not doing so, she risked putting her tenant in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, the HSE decided.

On Wednesday (28/10/09), Ms Beckett of Lodge Hill, Addingham, Ilkley pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 36(3) of the Gas Safety (Installations and Use) Regulations 1998 and of contravening a previous improvement notice. She was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.

The HSE is now warning all landlords to make sure that gas appliances in their rented properties are checked and certified as safe by a gas installation professional.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Steven Kay said:

‘Landlords are legally required to comply with Gas Safety regulations, and HSE is concerned there may be other property owners like Ms Beckett who are not fulfilling their responsibilities and who may be putting their tenants at risk.

‘These measures are in place for a reason because, if left unchecked, faulty gas appliances can have devastating consequences,’ Mr Kay warned.  ‘This important legislation needs to be taken seriously by landlords to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning or even death.’

Gas engineers must be registered with an organisation approved by the HSE – currently this is the Gas Safe Register at www.gassafetyregister.co.uk. More information is also available at www.hse.gov.uk/gas.

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