Plumber fined after house explosion (From This Is Wiltshire)

Plumber fined after house explosion

2:40pm Monday 26th March 2007

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A Wiltshire plumber who was fitting a boiler next door to a house which blew up in a huge gas explosion has been fined £1,300.

Harry Martin was not registered with Corgi and reused an old section of water pipe to carry gas, a judge was told.

But Andrew Langdon, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court that the 60-year-old was not being accused of causing the blast on Beechcroft Road in April 2004.

The Crown offered no evidence on a more serious charge against Martin and his colleague Richard Peters, who died last year.

The two men were removing an old boiler and water tank and fitting a new combination boiler at the house when the massive explosion took place.

As a result of the blast the Health and Safety Executive carried out an investigation into the work carried out by the men.

He said that it was thought the explosion was caused as a result of a gas pipe which had been cut by Peters being left unsealed.

Following investigations by the defence it was shown there may have been other reasons for the accumulation of gas which had leaked out causing the explosion.

As a result he said it was not appropriate to continue with the more serious charge against Martin however it was right to continue with the two other allegations.

Mr Langdon said Martin was acting as a self employed plumber and heating engineer despite not having the requisite accreditation and Peters as a sub contractor.

Neither man was registered with Corgi and they used a section of pipe under the floor in a bedroom which had previously been used for water to carry gas.

He said that both matters were offences under health and safety regulations carrying a maximum fine of £5,000 in the magistrates' court.

Martin, formerly of Hyde Road, Upper Stratton, but now living in Northern France, admitted two counts of contravening health and safety regulations by not being Corgi registered and reusing an old pipe.

Peters, of Ruskin Avenue, Upper Stratton, who was 58 when he died last October, had already admitted not being Corgi registered.

Charles Parry, defending, said his client had not worked since the incident in April 2004 and now lived with his partner across the Channel.

He said that he was supported by her and had only savings and a small with profits policy with an insurer as income.

Although he accepted he was not Corgi registered he said his client never claimed to be and would tell people who asked that he was not.

He said he had forty years' experience in the trade and was well respected by colleagues but his health had suffered since the incident.

With regards to the pipe being reused he said the regulation was in place to stop dirt getting into the burners or flue, but the boiler being installed was fitted with a filter.

As such the court was told that the offence was almost a technical breach' of the regulations.

Judge Douglas Field fined him £500 for not being Corgi registered and £800 for reusing the pipe.

He told him "This has been hanging over your head for years and you have suffered considerable ill health and the ending of theses proceedings will have come as a great relief to you."

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