Tuesday 15 January 2013

National Grid Prosecuted Over Gas Leak


The National Grid pleaded guilty on the 25th of September this year to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £17,500 in addition to £8,192 in costs after gas leaked into a Halesowen home.


The leak occurred back on the 20th of August, 2010 when a team of engineers replaced the gas supply to a property in Bromsgrove Road.

They chose to change the supply connection from a low pressure main on the opposite side of the road to a medium pressure main on the same side as the property.

Unfortunately, when carrying this task out, they drilled through a plastic main concealed within the iron main that they attached the new connection to. Gas leaked out of this secondary plastic main into a house 150 metres from the property the engineers worked on.

Thankfully the leak was noticed on the same day by a member of the public passing the property.

A second team of engineers was then deployed, identifying the high levels of gas within the house. The polluted house was then made safe in the early hours of the following morning.

The blame for the incident was placed upon the national Grid who had not updated records with the existence of the concealed plastic main. The company had know about the plastic main for four years, yet had not detailed this.

That the situation was speedily identified and resolved whilst the home-owners were out proved to be very lucky. Francine Cheney, a HSE (health and safety executive) inspector said that over half a tonne of gas had escaped from the incision made by the engineers. Such high levels could have killed quickly had the homeowners been inside. Additionally, as gas is extremely flammable, any form of ignition could have caused an explosion.

BPM Maintenance are a Bath based company with Gas Safe registered engineers that you can rely on toe perform jobs such as the one mentioned in this article efficiently and safely. They also offer gas safety certificates to Bath, Bristol and the surrounding area which landlords must obtain every year.

Monday 7 January 2013

Diamond Concrete Roof Tiles


The diamond concrete tile was invented in the 1840s by a man named Adolph Kroher in a small village in the region of Southern Bavaria, Germany. The style was introduced to the UK in 1895.

The tiles are designed in a diamond shaped pattern and this proved to never become a popular style, making it uncommon in its time and very rare to still exist on roofs today.

In fact one of the only known complete concrete tiled roofs in Britain is that of the former Minehead School. The roof is over 114 years old and has managed to endure little to no damage until the 2010/11 winter when some of the tiles were damaged. Unfortunately chances of finding replacements are remote and it is likely that facsimiles will be constructed to retain the building's appearance.

Today concrete is used quite commonly for flat roofs and flat roof tiles. Mission/barrel tiles are also constructed from concrete; this type is composed of alternating columns of semi-cylindrical tiles, with each adjacent tile on the roof protruding in opposite directions.

Concrete roofing is generally expected to last for about 50 years, making the Maiden School in Minehead quite remarkable. In comparison, other roofing materials such as asphalt are about one third of the cost but significantly less durable.

BPM Maintenance has skilled Bath roofers that are efficient, affordable and accredited with Trading Standards among other organisations.

One of the reasons that concrete roof tiles are so durable is because they can withstand high wind speeds that tear off other roof tiles. They are also resistant to damage from algae and moss although professional roofers can remove this to maintain a buildings appearance.