Gas detection and building failings see property firm fined £300,000

Post By: Shona Innes

Apollo Property Services Group has been fined £300,000 for gas detection and building failings which saw seven residents hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Despite the fact that carbon monoxide is a known killer, many homes and businesses across the UK do not have sufficient gas detection equipment to alert residents and workers to fumes.

Authorities take the issue seriously and evidence of this can be found in the £300,000 fine recently handed out to a well-known property firm.

Apollo Property Services Group Limited was penalised for failings related to the Abbey Road Estate in Camden, London, which saw seven people hospitalised.

The victims were residing on Adelaide Road and suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning between February and March 2008 when the boiler flues servicing their homes were blocked during roof renovations.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), its investigation found that the firm - which is now part of the Keepmoat Group - knew that some flues may still be serving boilers in the properties, but did not introduce sufficient inspections.

The Waltham Abbey-based company was fined £165,000, ordered to pay £117,582 in costs and a total of £19,000 in compensation after being found guilty of breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety etc. at Work Act 1974.

HSE inspector Helen Donnelly explained that Apollo failed to act on advice and should have known better as one of the country's largest property service organisations.

"Despite the client's adviser warning the company to consider the risk of blocking or covering flues at the start of the refurbishment project, the company did not assess the risks to residents or have a safe system to ensure flues serving live boilers were not obstructed," she said.

Meanwhile, thisiscornwall.co.uk recently reported that a Bodmin man's life was saved by gas detection equipment at his property, which alerted emergency services to traces of carbon monoxide.

Posted by Dawn Mitchell