Negligent gas engineer found guilty
A former gas engineer has been charged with manslaughter after his professional negligence resulted in the deaths of an elderly couple.
The man had been hired to service a gas boiler in the couple’s home two weeks prior to their death and according to the judge his work was "lamentably inadequate, falling so far below the competence expected of a gas engineer as to be grossly negligent".
The engineer was Corgi accredited but his accreditation for the specific boiler found in their home had lapsed three years previously.
A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive who brought charges against the man said that the case showed the vital importance of correct accreditation and training when dealing with potentially lethal systems.
Hugh Emmitt from the HSE, said: "This tragic case demonstrates why it is essential that gas engineers only work on appliances where their competence has been assessed and that they are on the Gas Safe Register."
Updated on 7/31/2009