Wates Construction, one of the UK’s largest building companies, was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay almost £2,500 court costs after it failed to check flues at 11 bungalows.
The vents had been disrupted following roofing work completed by subcontractors in Rednal Road, Birmingham, in 2006, and could have caused a fatal build-up of carbon monoxide inside the bungalows.
It was reported that Surrey-based Wates failed to check the vents, despite being warned to do so by a CORGI registered subcontractor.
Wates pleaded guilty to contravening section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after the Health and Safety Executive brought a prosecution.
A spokesperson for WAKE UP, which is backed by celebrities including GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly, said: “This prosecution demonstrates just how serious the threat posed by carbon monoxide is.
“We are glad that the HSE brought this prosecution, as it should prompt all building companies to consider their responsibilities to ensure that they take precautions against carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It also highlights the need for people to install carbon monoxide alarms in their homes, so that they are alerted to a build up of carbon monoxide before it is too late. Without the alarm they may never know there is a problem; the gas does not smell – which is why it is called the silent killer.
“We cannot stress enough how important it is to get an alarm.”
A survey commissioned by WAKE UP revealed that nearly one third of people did not know what carbon monoxide is or where it comes from. But this is only the tip of the iceberg as a further 41% said they were unaware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and 75% said they do not have a carbon monoxide detector in their home.
