Irlam blast.

[Bernie2]

The news is full of the gas explosion in Irlam. Hopefully nobody has been seriously hurt and wishes and prayers go to those involved.

But on a forum like this, I suppose its important to be interested in to what may have gone wrong, basically to learn lessons from it.

The house apparently had been in the middle of having Housing Association renovation work done on it. It is far to early of course, to even guess at what went wrong, so its probably best not to speculate as to the possible reason.

But I hope this time, time constraint pressures, the rush to make bonus or meet finishing dates to get jobs done are included in the search.

I do however stress they may have nothing at all to do with it.

Praying all are well.

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, I would be interested to hear what went wrong. It does teach you one thing immediatley, well it does me anyway.

We all have to slavishly follow protocool and sometimes be jobsworths, but basically the rules are there to save lives.

Something went wrong here, and it's possible that it's a freak accident, but generally with things of this nature, someone will be at fault.

I hope all those involved in the explosion are going to be ok. I heard there are kids involved too. Very sad news.

 

[kirkgas]

latest news seems to be saying it was a cooker fault in a kitchen which was being refurbed, there will have been a few sndwiches not finished this lunchtime by a few guys in the area until they got the exact address and confirmed they hadnt been in it

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh dear, heads are going to roll on this one.

 

[kirkgas]

we will see, could have been tenant neglect by leaving the gas on at the cooker, but all will be known soon enough

 

[REDSAW]

bit of a coincidence.

the recent explosion around here had just been renovated by the council.
the bloke of the house was suspected in leaving the cooker on also and is on charges for attempted murder.?.

 

[Bernie2]

Yes! Interestingly enough some years ago the Plumbers union said it was having to spend a lot of time defending members in court against charges brought by the HSE against gas fitters.

If the HSE get on your case, those guys go for the throat no mucking about.

 

[anz]

Salford blast: Gas pipe was disconnected three times in three days - Manchester Evening News

 

[cjg]

others reported gas leaks after they had work done and had to be rectified 3 or 4 i believe. not good!!!!

 

[Blackcatgas]

bit of a coincidence.

the recent explosion around here had just been renovated by the council.
the bloke of the house was suspected in leaving the cooker on also and is on charges for attempted murder.?.

Yeah, the womans boyfriend has been charged with attempted murder, he had his leg and arm amputated and blinded in 1 eye or somthing like that, there has got to be esyier ways to kill the mrs, how did he expect to get out alive, and how could he put those 2 kids at risk? it will all come out in court I suppose.

 

[anz]

After more than a year since the explosion, the HSE have now charged a Gas fitter over this blast.

Gas fitter is charged over Irlam blast horror | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk

The report says 'He has been charged with failing to ensure a gas fitting was properly supported and protected under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations'.

I wonder what this means, something trivial (clipping distances?) or something more important. Or has he been made a scapegoat? Or did he mess up big time? I don't know.

I suppose its a reminder if you need one, to make sure that any work you do complies fully with the Gas Regulations, so that you don't become the next gas fitter in the news.

 

[AWheating]

i would think less likely to be clipping distances but more like cooker hose/wall plate not fixed causing stress on fitting/pipe or meter not bracketed/hanging on flexi's?. i guess we will find out in the gas safe mag at some point.

 

[CMairiD]

Wish the HSE did a technical database of these kinds of cases (after the prosecutions, etc are done) so that the whole industry can learn from mistakes.

Often what's reported in papers or even by the HSE itself is so incredibly vague.

 

[kay-jay]

its a wonder this kind of thing is not more commonplace, my boss when he used to work for a large local company (100 or so engineers) was often called out to gas leaks immediately after the same company had just serviced backboilers. apparently there is a position on the gas isolation on the pilot assembly that holds for a tt and while pilot is on but spills badly when on full burner and apparently lots of the 'engineers' used to leave in this unsafe situation completely unaware. worryingly commonplace is how he describes it

 

[Pssst]

It is not uncommon to have gas leaks after such "refurbishment" projects. One which springs to mind involving the very same company...where they had been doing refurbs. Tenant had complained to site office a couple of times of SOG in house after refurb. They had sent their man round who dismissed her ,,almost suggesting she was a bit batty as she was an older lady.
Eventually,wakes up one morning and can stand it no longer...rang her supplier who passed it to ESP.

Findings,,clear drop on guage. PTFE used on two meter connections due to lost washers. Horrible green gunge all over meter unions and area due to self cleaning flux being used and not wiped off. New 15mm cooker supply found with 1 x unsoldered (never soldered!) 15mm cu elbow.

Carpet badly ripped by spurs.

 

[gasmarc]

we all make mistakes sometimes and the person who thinks he doesnt is a fool. I just hope to God I never harm anyone else by being careless.

 

[Pssst]

Indeed,though there are people out there who dont even trouble themselves by doing a tightness test.

I did hear a little roomour quite a while ago that the said blast might be related to lead pipe and/or joints to it...but we will have to wait for the full report which will be interesting.

 

[mountainman]

we all make mistakes sometimes and the person who thinks he doesnt is a fool. I just hope to God I never harm anyone else by being careless.

Or momentarily distracted by a watching customer.

 

[sparra1100]

Or momentarily distracted by a watching customer.

i get that loads ,watching customers,ooh so thats how its done,i usually say these days sorry but gas regs say you carnt be here while am doing this so i carnt carry on while your here ,usually they say i,ll make a cuppa or i take the dog out

 

[Pssst]

i get that loads ,watching customers,ooh so thats how its done,i usually say these days sorry but gas regs say you carnt be here while am doing this so i carnt carry on while your here ,usually they say i,ll make a cuppa or i take the dog out

I just pull a big black sheet over my head,like one of those Victorian photographers..!

 

[mickie]

i dont mind people watching, normally talk to them about my job, what im doing, spout random numbers to them, then say "not that you have a clue what im on about"

as long as they dont tell me how to do my job they can do what they like, i even let them lend my tools, which i dont seem to be getting back atm but im too soft to say, "have you kept my tools?"

i do a drop test after everything i do to be happy enough i havent left a gas leak, what worrys me are the gas leaks that only seem to occur when the gas appliance is in use or those blood leaks that start on their own..

ive fitted a boiler before, test on gas, no leaks, then a few days later have the customer ringing to say their is a gas leak, some how one of the joints to boiler was slightly leaking and they could smell it, makes me look bad..

so much responsibility working with gas, so little pay

 

[Mike Jackson]

I've had people trying to tell me what to do before. I'll either offer them a tool and ask if they want to do the job or start packing my tools up. When they ask what I'm doing I say that as they obviously know the job better than me they may as as well finish it.

 

[wnjswozo]

I just pull a big black sheet over my head,like one of those Victorian photographers..!

can you get these on ebay,i want one

 

[mountainman]

I just pull a big black sheet over my head,like one of those Victorian photographers..!

You mean that you wear a burka and go as the phantom plumber??
Not a bad idea!

 

[REDSAW]

start coughing and sneazing then wipe your nose with your hand and tell them you have flue.
that works.

bit like spitting on your food in the resteraunt when everyone else wants to try your food.lol.

 

[Pssst]

Heat up a spanner with a blow lamp when hes not looking then ask him to pass it to you..?

How will he look with "kcid gnik" imprinted on his hand ?

 

[gasmarc]

well the fact of the matter is I usually make mistakes if i am chatting to a customer and there is nothing worse than screwing everything up only to find you omitted something , I remember fixing a water heater and losing my mini adjustable only to go back a week later to find it inside RESULT well happy , I was on a job before and the guy asked if i minded if he videoed me doing the job well I kid you not I was out at my van and i turned around and the guy was there with the camera lol

 

[kon]

back on the topic. i work for social housing and we recently had our properties updated (in house team & contractors) with kitchens,& joiners,floorlayers & sparks where all dissconecting gas cookers & reconecting them at will. nothing said as the bosses & foreman are always ex joiners who look at you silly when a gas engineer tries to stress the importance of gas safety & regs. the thing is you could re-fit a cooker in the morning & sign it off,then some other tradesman may come after & mess it up,& not own up to touching it. all fingers will be pointing at the last gas engineer.

 

[kon]

and dont get me started on the positioning of gas meters in the kichens!.. not one bit of the kitchen is designed around the gas meter. again non-gas people designing kitchen & non-gas people installing them. i hate joiners!!!!!