The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released figures showing a dramatic rise in prosecutions for illegal gas work — and the case studies behind those numbers are a reminder of what happens when safety shortcuts are taken with one of the most hazardous systems in any building.

Since the beginning of 2025, seventeen people in the United Kingdom have been convicted for carrying out gas work without being registered on the Gas Safe Register. That compares with just three convictions in 2022/23 and four in 2023/24. The figures were released to mark Gas Safety Week, which runs from 14 to 20 September 2026.

The Cases

Fraudster Faked Gas Safe Logo on Social Media

Alexander Robson advertised his services on social media and with flyers, using a fake version of the Gas Safe logo despite having been removed from the register in February 2024. He carried out illegal gas work on boilers and fires at five homes — work that was not only illegal but substandard and dangerous. When a subsequent engineer discovered his work at the home of a first-time buyer who had trusted him, the full extent of the hazard became clear. Robson received a suspended eight-month prison sentence.

Rogue Trader Endangered a 90-Year-Old Homeowner

Israel Jackson, 56, was contracted to install a new boiler at the home of a 90-year-old man in Croydon in May 2022 — despite having never been registered with Gas Safe. He installed the boiler, issued a fraudulent gas safety certificate, and when relatives later smelled gas and called British Gas, an “immediately dangerous” notice was issued. Jackson returned the next day and — ignoring the notice — put the dangerous boiler back into operation. It was not his first offence; he had been prosecuted for illegal gas work in 2015. He was jailed for 12 months at Croydon Crown Court in February 2026.

Family Left Without Heating for Six Weeks

Lee Lancaster of Ulverston installed a gas combi boiler and pipework at a family home in February 2024 without holding any gas qualifications whatsoever. Inspectors subsequently found three separate gas leaks. The gas supply was shut off for six weeks, leaving a family of four without heating or hot water. Lancaster was given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs.

The Risk: Carbon Monoxide, Explosions and Fire

Unqualified gas work can kill. Poorly installed or incorrectly serviced boilers, cookers and gas fires can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires — and carbon monoxide poisoning, which claims lives every year. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and has no taste. Symptoms of poisoning — headaches, dizziness, nausea and confusion — are easy to mistake for other illnesses.

HSE Principal Inspector Steve Critchlow said: “Temperatures are going down and bills are going up, but cutting corners when it comes to getting your gas appliances properly serviced by a registered professional could be a fatal mistake.”

Relevance for Australian Workplaces and Contractors

While Australia uses a different registration and licensing system to the UK, the fundamental principle is identical: gas work must only be carried out by licensed tradespeople, and the obligation to verify those credentials before allowing work to commence sits squarely with the person engaging the contractor.

Under Australian WHS legislation, businesses that engage contractors have a duty of care that includes ensuring those contractors are appropriately licensed and competent to perform the work safely. Accepting a contractor’s word for their qualifications — or failing to verify licence status before work begins — can expose a business to serious legal liability if something goes wrong.

Key checks before engaging any gas contractor in Australia:

• Verify that the contractor holds a current gas fitting licence for the relevant state or territory
• Ask to see the licence card and check it against the relevant state licensing register
• Ensure the scope of work is clearly defined before work commences
• Do not accept verbal assurances of qualifications — request documentation
• Report unlicensed gas work to your state or territory safety regulator