Two Northern Ireland gas engineers fined following illegal work

Both individuals were sentenced today (12 April 2022) at Belfast Magistrates’ Court, Laganside. David Horner and Ian Campbell were fined £2,500 and £1,500 respectively for multiple offences under gas safety legislation. David Horner was also fined for failing to comply with an earlier prohibition notice.

The HSENI investigation followed notification that David Horner had been conducting gas work despite being suspended as a gas engineer from the Gas Safe Register. It was found that between February 2017 and October 2017, David Horner completed multiple gas safety checks and a gas boiler installation at various residential properties within the Greater Belfast area.

The investigation also found that David Horner conducted gas work despite having been prohibited from carrying out such work following the service of a prohibition notice in June 2017 by an HSENI Inspector.

A total of thirty-four gas safe checks were sub-contracted to him by Ian Campbell, who had initially failed to check and ensure that David Horner was a registered Gas Safe engineer before any gas work commenced.

Speaking after the hearing, Gavin Rowan, an inspector with HSENI’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Conducting gas work without being registered to do so is not only a failure to comply with gas safety regulations, it unnecessarily places home owners, tenants and others at significant risk from gas installations that may not have be properly maintained or inspected.

“All gas engineers have a legal responsibility to ensure that they are registered with Gas Safe Register as competent to do the work.”

Home owners and occupants can check if a gas engineer is currently Gas Safe Registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.ukFurther information on the legal requirements of gas work can be found at www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/gas