Housing association fined £6,000 for carbon monoxide breach

The case was brought to Barnstaple Magistrates’ Court on 13 August. The court was told the tenant of a North Devon Homes property in Barnstaple rang the emergency gas services after detecting a “very strong unpleasant smell” and realising that a carbon monoxide alarm was sounding.

When they arrived, emergency workers classed the situation as immediately dangerous.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation discovered that several weeks before the incident, North Devon Homes employees had removed a chimney from the roof and tiled over the space, in an attempt to fix a problem with damp at the property.

But the chimney was being used to vent a gas fire and gas boiler.

The association pleaded guilty to a charge brought under health and safety legislation and in addition to the fine was ordered to pay costs of £833.

HSE inspector Simon Jones said: “This was an incredibly dangerous situation where gas appliances were left to pump potentially poisonous and fatal gasses into the loft space of a home instead of to outside the property.

“Whenever a chimney is removed or capped, careful checks should be taken to ensure the chimney is not being used and cannot be used in the future.

“Proper control by North Devon Homes and clear work instructions would have prevented this dangerous situation from arising and putting the lives of their tenants at risk.”

North Devon Homes said an independent investigation had been carried out and that it was an “isolated incident affecting a single property”.

“We take health, safety and welfare of our customers, staff and contractors very seriously. We have consistently invested in activities, systems and advice that support this and North Devon Homes has a strong track record in relation to health and safety in this area.”

The association added that it has undertaken a thorough review of systems and processes, invested in further accredited staff training and “strengthened arrangements wherever possible”.