Gas explosion in Manchester

[jtsplumbing]

Maybe local Bomb Factory is now shut down .

 

[dontknowitall]

I can't help thinking this was some type of sabotage, judging by the size of the explosion. Seems to me something like someone turning on gas cooker without lighting it then igniting it somehow (e.g. electrical circuit).

 

[Guest123]

It's a tragedy that a little 2 year old child child lost his life because of the inability of adults to get along. Hope they get the *******.

 

[dontknowitall]

Just read on the BBC website that a man's been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

 

[Dannypipe]

Its terrible. A poor child has died. Last month we had the couple who burnt their own home down to fiddle their housing benefits and get a bigger house (and accidently killed all of their children).

Very depressing.

 

[WaterTight]

Latest is that a 32 yr old gas engineer has been arrested (not the same bloke who owns the house and is in hospital)

Oldham explosion: Man, 32, arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over death of toddler Jamie Heaton | Mail Online

 

[dave1]

Im guessing they have just arrested the engineer so they can question him under police caution (does that sound right) they are still waiting to question the chap that lived there who threatened to blow the house up.
I bet the engineer is bricking it.... He may have done a thorough job but because someone decides to damage his own and neighbouring properties the engineer is put under scrutiny.
I'm sure all will become clearer in the next few days or weeks.

How long until something happens where someone is trying to repair there own boiler or gas appliance and causes devastation like this???
That's why as a gas community I think advice should be given out sparingly and with caution where gas is concerned.

 

[Bernie2]

Perhaps it may be a case of giving more advice out to make people realise the dangers instead of blowing themselves up through a lack of knowledge. Once again the man may very well be a GSR. What then stop GSR's working on gas?
Like the Highway Code, spell the dangers out. And even then regulation will not stop people having a go for themselves if they think money can be made or saved out of it. I would prefer they knew the dangers of what they were doing rather than had a go thinking it was easy.

 

[Dannypipe]

A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

 

[GQuigley67]

i dont think it was the engineers problem, there was a strong smell of gas reported at 10.40 then the explosion 30 minutes later, boiler was fitted 10 weeks ago, I suspect something more sinister

 

[Barry98]

i hope ALL is paper work is in order . thats his evidence as my old mentor used to say

 

[stevetheplumber]

police seem to arrest and bail anyone involved in anything now probably on the theory that every now and then some one confesses

 

[Barry98]

having been arrested last year i have no respect for the law. it is now a case of guilty until you prove your innocence. all about there stats

 

[Orry Clayton]

Update on this: The neighbour has been in court today and gave a guilty plea for the manslaughter of the child.

 

[plum ber]

SAD very sad RIP

 

[anz]

Further Update, regaring the Gas fitter who was at the property the day before.

He didn't support the gas meter in the correct way and has been found guilty of breaching the Gas Regulations.

Irlam blast: Fitter Paul Kay fined £1k for breaching gas safety regulations - Manchester Evening News


Just another reminder to be careful and do everything to the book.

 

[scorps]

Thats a differant explosion anz,no one died in that one in Irlam

 

[on31ll]

i know its not by the book and i cant comment but surely the issue was bigger than the meter sitting on a brick ! they make out that was the problem

 

[Dannypipe]

i know its not by the book and i cant comment but surely the issue was bigger than the meter sitting on a brick ! they make out that was the problem

The pipe from the meter was in lead. Frankly he got off lightly. Leaving a meter up on a couple of bricks. What a total idiot.

Luckily it sounds like he's no longer working on gas as is says he's unemployed.

However an £80,000 investigation has resulted in a £1000 fine for a bloke on benefits, who won't pay it out of his own pocket anyway. Great. He should probably get a custodial, he's lucky no one died.

 

[Pssst]

I think the penalty inflicted on this guy was a bit harsh but this kind of thing has been an accident waiting to happen for years.

It goes like this...

Councils want to do refurbs on properties..

Kitchen fitters go in and rip out old kitchen.

Meter is left temporarily unsupported.

Someone props it up in an ad hoc fashion

New kitchen gets fitted

Kitchen fitters hack a rough square out of kitchen unit bottom to fit round propped up meter.

It gets left like that until a meter exchange comes round and the meter operator then stands to cost of a refix to std and the customer is then left with a big orrible square cut out of bottom of unit.


Its all about money...

The contractors should contact the MAM to have meter temp removed and capped.

Kitchen is then refitted

MAM re-attends and refixes mtr to standard.

Prewsumably a GSR with MET1 on his ticket could also resite the meter leaving aside the small matter of seeking MAMs permission to work on their meter

Yet another person who thought there was big money in being a gasman..£40k a year an all that..blah blah blah..

I was in a large office block not long ago to investigate a "high pressure" report. On site there was a GSR lad. He told me he had been there for a couple of days and couldnt sort it out and to quote he said.." I need to get out of this. I havennt a clue what im doing"... But you are I&C certificated arent you? says i ..yes says he,i did it last year... He was quite anxious...

The incoming supply was 4" steel through a big donkin reg and a rotary meter.

The boiler room control panel kept alarming and shutting down due to perceived high pressure.

All that was happening was that when the gas flow stopped,the big donkin was being a bit sluggish to lockup.

It was therefore pre charging the installation with service pressure.

When the boilers fired,there was a momentary measurement of this slightly elevated pressure,alarm goes off..

 

[on31ll]

i dont think its harsh its his job to do it right or not do it atall.

 

[Dannypipe]

i dont think its harsh its his job to do it right or not do it atall.

Agreed. He propped the meter up on bricks. He got off lightly in my opinion.

 

[on31ll]

if its a problem with kitchen fitters etc then you need to be there when unit is being put in. if your not then you need to do all the extra work to do the job properly !

 

[Pssst]

I guess it has become custom and practice..apart from any pressure he is getting from his employer.