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Couple suffer carbon monoxide poisoning after illegal gas fitting

22nd June 2010 | Warning Signs

A gas fitter from Hertfordshire has been fined after his work led to an elderly couple suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.

Dermot Healy was charged by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a woman fell unconscious at her Edgware home on November 20th 2007 and her husband partially collapsed.

An investigation found that Mr Healy serviced a warm-air unit at the property but did not provide sufficient ventilation and used a flue with two 90-degree bends.

This restricted harmful gases from being emitted properly and the negative pressure in the cupboard saw fumes drawn down into ducts in the unit.

City of London Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Healy was also found to have failed to renew his CORGI registration following its expiry in March 2005.

He admitted breaching Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 and Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500.

"The couple in this instance were lucky, but the outcome could so easily have been a tragic one," said HSE inspector Charles Linfoot.

"Mr Healy was paid by his clients to carry out an annual servicing of an old, deteriorating boiler only 14 days before they were taken to hospital with acute carbon monoxide poisoning."

Meanwhile, another gas fitter, Chris Bradshaw, was recently fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,711 after breaching health and safety regulations.

Posted by Jason NichollsADNFCR-2754-ID-19851858-ADNFCR

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