News

Walsall landlord prosecuted for putting tenants at risk (22/11/11)

A Walsall landlord has been sentenced for failing to provide a gas safety certificate.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Khalid Hussain following a complaint from a tenant and her partner, who rent a house at Raleigh Street, Walsall from him.

Walsall Magistrates’ Court heard that the boiler was only replaced in October this year despite having broken down in January 2011. Mr Hussain also did not have a landlord’s gas safety certificate for the appliances in the property until last month, despite being issued with an Improvement Notice from HSE in March requiring him to provide the certificate by 6 May 2011.

The court also heard that when the new boiler was installed last month, a gas engineer condemned the cooker in the property as dangerous and isolated it.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Pam Folsom said:

“Mr Hussain has shown complete disregard for the safety and welfare of his tenants. He left them with no central heating during one of the coldest winters in recent memory.

“Landlords must ensure all gas appliances are checked for safety at least once a year and provide a gas safety certificate for the property to show tenants that this has been done.

“Even after HSE issued an Improvement Notice six months ago, Mr Hussain only produced a landlord’s gas safety certificate in October.

“Poorly maintained gas appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can kill and can also cause serious long-term health problems. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include nausea, dizziness, tiredness, vomiting, collapse and loss of consciousness.

“HSE will not hesitate to prosecute landlords who fail in their duty of care to tenants in this way.”

Mr Hussain, of Pargeter Street, Walsall, pleaded guilty yesterday to breaching Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 36(3)(a) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs.

More information about the dangers of carbon monoxide is available from http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/co.htm

Warning over blanket safety failures (20/10/11)

Electric blanket testing in Fife this year saw 35% of blankets fail safety checks.

Testing events were held in towns across Fife. 411 blankets were tested in total. 267 passed the test, with 144 found to be unsafe.

Geoff Bates, Protective Services Team Leader explains, “10 events have been carried out since the spring. Results show that people are risking their safety by using old, unsafe blankets.

Geoff adds, “This project will continue in 2012, as we have successfully gained funding from our partners for another year. I hope Fifers will take the chance to bring their blankets along to be tested. It only takes a few minutes, but gives that extra piece of mind that you will be safe. Details will appear in the press before the project starts again in the spring”.

Ian Dempsey from Fife Fire & Rescue’s Community Safety Department comments, “Fire crews still attend house fires caused by electric blanket failures. To have these unsafe blankets removed from households is a great bonus for the safety of the Fife community.

Ian continues, “One of the main reasons for older blankets failing the safety test is due to their lack of overheat protection. Electric blanket owners should refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to check that their blanket meets the current safety standards”.

The project is a joint initiative between Fife Council’s Protective Services, Fife Cares & Fife Fire and Rescue Service. Funding towards the cost of the project is from the Electrical Safety Council and Scottish and Southern Energy.

Further information on electric blanket safety can be found at www.fifedirect.org.uk/tradingstandards.

A recycling service is offered at each event for blankets which fail the safety test. Blankets are collected and handed over to a textile recycling company. They are cleaned, have the elements stripped out and re-used as a normal blanket or shredded for filling purposes.

Results of testing:

 It was of interest to read that there has been an update published now for ‘Healthy Lives – Healthy People’ and it is gratifying to know that on page 28 the following appears

In light of the above, and subject to further engagement, the new responsibilities of local

authorities would include local activity on:

•  tobacco control;

•  alcohol and drug misuse services;

•  obesity and community nutrition initiatives

•  increasing levels of physical activity in the local population

•  assessment and lifestyle interventions as part of the NHS Health Check Programme;

•  public mental health services;

•  dental public health services;

•  accidental injury prevention;

•  population level interventions to reduce and prevent birth defects;

•  behavioural and lifestyle campaigns to prevent cancer and long term conditions;

•  local initiatives on workplace health;

•  supporting, reviewing and challenging delivery of key public health funded and NHS delivered services such as immunisation programmes;

•  comprehensive sexual health services

•  local initiatives to reduce excess deaths as a result of seasonal mortality

Healthy Lives – Healthy People: Update and Way Forward