The Health and Safety Executive says Newport Council has been fined £20,000 after building work at a house exposed a woman and children to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The HSE says the case was brought as a company paid by the council left a boiler in a “dangerous” condition.
The hearing took place Cwmbran Magistrates.
The HSE said the authority pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
After the hearing, the HSE issued a statement saying the authority had told the householder to use the company without checking their competence or monitoring their work in November 2010.
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Newport Council failed in their obligation to the family”
Dean BakerHSE inspector
In addition, the council did not follow its own procedures for choosing contractors because although it kept a list of approved firms it did not supply it to the householder.
‘Obligation’
The HSE said the woman had complained the boiler was not working properly and was leaking and arranged for an independent engineer to examine the work.
It alleges that he found a pressure relief valve had not been connected and confirmed the boiler was leaking.
The HSE said the council was also ordered to pay £11,000 costs.
The case was brought by the under Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which states that people’s safety is not put at risk by the work of others.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Dean Baker said: “Newport Council failed in their obligation to the family to ensure that the contractors they were paying to do the work were able to do it competently and to monitor the work being carried out on their behalf.”