Hard Talk - Gas/Electric Installations

[Bill Gardener]

While trying to sleep the other night I came up with some scenarios with regards to D.I.Y. gas and electric installations and the law, so here goes:

1. Joe installs a complete new CH system in his own house and does all the necessary work himself. Joe lives in a semi-detached and his neighbour, who saw this mess Joe made of erecting a fence the week before, is very worried for the safety of her family. Can she report Joe to the police, council or somebody else? If so what are possible outcomes of this?

1. Joe installs a complete new CH system in his own house and does all the necessary work himself. Two weeks later while Joe is down the pub there is an explosion. Joe rushes home to discover his wife is dead. Gas had been building up since he installed the CH system and the boiler igniting had set the whole load off. Luckily his neighbour's property was untouched. Can Joe be charged with manslaughter?

2. Joe installs a complete new CH system in his own house and does all the necessary work himself. Soon after Joe's job forces him to move away. A newly wed couple move in to Joe's old house. Overtime one of the gas connections on Joe's installation works loose. Bang! The newly weds are found dead under a pile of rubble. Can Joe be charged with manslaughter?

1. Joe installs a complete new CH system in his own house and does all the necessary work himself. Soon after Joe's job forces him to move away. Before selling he gets the professionals in to check all his work and issue safety/compliance certificates. Joe is amazed when everything passes OK. A newly wed couple move in to Joe's old house. Overtime one of the gas connections on Joe's installation works loose. Bang! The newly weds are found dead under a pile of rubble. Who is a fault here Joe or the professionals who checked his work? He does have safety/compliance certificates after all.

I had some more but I am sick of typing!

Bill

[Christian McArdle]

IANAL, so just guesses here.

The council building control department. A new CH system comes under building regulations. There should be a record of a Building Notice for the new system, or a certificate by a CORGI under the self certification scheme. The system should be inspected by the BCO (or, more likely, a subcontracted CORGI, at Joe's expense to produce a certificate.

I'd have thought so.

Probably. However, if much time has elapsed, it may become more difficult to prove that negligent installation was the cause, rather than a new fault developing.

Unlikely to be Joe, although possible. If the safety/compliance certificates are in order, then it will be difficult to prove that the installation was incompetent. If sufficient remains of the system to determine the cause and it is incompetent installation, then it might be possible to pursue Joe. If sufficient remains of the system to indicate that the entire installation was obviously incompetent, then both Joe and the testers might be liable, as the testing was incompetent too.

Christian.

[IMM]

subcontracted

manslaughter?

If Joe had done the CH over a years before and it had been served since Joe did it then Joe would be "probably" in the clear. Hidden bodges that did not come out in the service notwithstanding.

certificates

[Dave Plowman]

So he's capable of installing a complete system from scratch, and getting it to work, but not capable of making a sound connection in a gas pipe.

It's bit unlikely, isn't it?

[Colin Wilson]

I didn`t know this... so before I can go ahead and get GCH fitted we`re supposed to inform the council and start paying them inspection fees ?

[Ed Sirett]

1. No idea.
2. Yes, and murder if there was evidence he did on purpose to do 'er in.
3. As time goes on there is less likelihood of a _major_ problem becoming exposed, nevertheless if the incompetant work is directly traced back to Joe, he'll be up before the beak.
4. If Joe has done a good job there is no reason to be amazed. The onus in on the registered installer who has made an inspection that all is well. This is based on what can be seen and tested. Very rapidly you can tell the quality of an installation. I do a number of inspections every month. The bulk of which are fine but when I find problems they are usually gathered into a 'flying formation'.

[Christian McArdle]

Only if DIY. If the installer is CORGI registered, there is an exemption.

Christian.