HSE safety warning on gas appliances as traders are prosecuted and sentenced to imprisonment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned the public in the Shropshire area about potentially unsafe gas installations carried out through a company called ‘Embers Fires’, following the prosecution of two brothers, one of who operated and ran the business.  

The warning comes after Lee David McHugh and Stephen Andrew McHugh, from the Wirral, Merseyside, who operated from a shop, ‘Embers Fires’, in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, were, on Friday 27 June each sentenced by Shrewsbury Crown Court to 12 months imprisonment for each breach of Prohibition Notices, with the sentences to run concurrently, for their part in the poor installation of gas appliances throughout Shropshire, which, the Court heard, posed a serious risk to occupants and property.  Both men had also falsely claimed to be CORGI registered gas installers.

HSE contacted over 200 households in order to determine which appliances supplied by Lee McHugh had been fitted by Stephen McHugh. In one instance, Lee McHugh had also taken part in the installation work.

Speaking after the case HSE investigating inspector Mr Lindsay Hope said:

"HSE is very pleased that the McHugh brothers have finally been brought to justice for their dangerous and illegal behaviour. The 10 specific instances brought to the attention of the Court, citing installations in Shrewsbury, Church Stretton, Little Stretton, Newport, Pontesbury and Monkmoor, were not isolated; the malpractice was ongoing over a very long period. 

"HSE had served Prohibition Notices on both brothers but they continued to flout safety legislation.  Stephen McHugh was carrying out gas work knowing that he was not registered with CORGI.  He chose to ignore this and continued to carry out work, putting the public at risk from both carbon monoxide poisoning and gas explosion.

"We would urge anyone who thinks that they may have a gas appliance installed by Stephen McHugh and probably purchased through Lee McHugh’s shop ‘Embers Fires’ in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury to urgently have the installation checked by a bona fide registered installer.

"This case serves as a reminder to the general public that anyone they ask to undertake gas work must currently be registered with CORGI. If the installer does not have a valid CORGI identity card, you should not let them into your property. Currently you can check an installer’s registration on the CORGI website. This case should also be a warning to traders to only undertake work for which they are qualified and competent and also that they must currently be registered with CORGI."

Lee McHugh had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 10 specimen charges of breaching regulations 3(7) and 4 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; falsely claiming to be a CORGI registered gas installer and contracting work to an unregistered installer, a breach of Sect 33(1) (g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) for failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice and a breach of Sect 3(2) of the HSWA by exposing his customers to risks to their health and safety.

Stephen Mc Hugh had also pleaded guilty to 10 specimen charges of breaching regulations 3(3) and 3(7) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; undertaking unregistered gas work and falsely claiming to be a CORGI registered gas installer, a breach of Sect 33(1)(g) of the HSW Act for failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice