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.

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.

Asbestos Roofing in Uganda

In many areas of the East African country of Uganda, schools are roofed with sheets of asbestos, a material banned in the developed world. It is a leftover of colonial rule, put in place by white men as the material was in vogue during the days of European imperialism.

Asbestos itself is an interesting rock, formed from six minerals; the serpentine variant chrysotile and the amosite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite and crocidolite members of the amphibole solid solution series. A solid solution is a range of chemical forms of a mineral, where the relative proportions of cations such as sodium, iron and calcium change. The rocks most recognisable feature is the well known fibrous crystal habit of the minerals; fine crystal strands that have high enough tensile strength and flexibility to be woven as cloth.

Although the rock has been mined for thousands of years, large-scale extraction only began in the 19th Century, which in hindsight is a blessing, as the dangerous properties of the rock may not have been identified in more primitive societies. The rocks properties make it a tempting poison apple. As a building material, it is excellent; featuring not only the high tensile strength and flexibility previously mention, but also resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage, affordability and sound absorption. Small wonder then that it was used so extensively throughout Africa.

The mechanism by which asbestos is dangerous to humans is perhaps not what you would expect. The current, most widely recognised hypothesis is that the finest fibres of around 60 nanometres in size (around one millionth of a centimeter) cause physical damage to the chromosomes within a cell's nuclei. This genetic disruption can trigger unrestrained mitosis, or division of the cells; replicating them beyond normal levels. Which in turn, forms a tumour and thus cancer. As these fibres enter the body through the breathing process, the lungs are the most likely affected area and the more fibres that are breathed in, the higher the chance a chromosome will be damaged in such a way as to have this effect.

It is thus of great concern that the future generations of Ugandans are being exposed to these fibres at such an early age and for extended periods of time; over the course of years. This leaves a large scope for cancer to be triggered and the roofs should be removed as soon as possible. Recent 2012 guidelines on asbestos roofing from the UK government can be found here.

Basic Design Standards of Pitched Roofs

The design of a pitched roof must follow a series of government set regulations to ensure that the structure does not pose a danger to anyone within the vicinity of the building. There are basic capabilities the roof must uphold. These include:

The roof must be able to support both its own weight and that of imposed loads. 

• Imposed loads include non-voluntary such as snow loads and also the possible application of insulation, solar panels or water tanks in the future.
• The force induced upon the roof by wind must also be taken into consideration during the calculations of roof strength. The design of the roof must also resist wind uprooting. This may involve straps to hold down parts of the structure if the weight alone is insufficient.
• Holding straps may also be required in some parts of the UK. Straps are generally steel with a galvanized finish with appropriate fixings.
• Rafters supporting the roof and ceiling joints must not be more than 600 millimeters apart. Ceiling joists are horizontal supporting beams, rafters are the sloped supporting beams.
• Ceiling joists must also be calibrated by the size and thickness of the plasterboard or other material that the ceiling is constructed from. For example, for plasterboard sheets of 9.5 millimeter thickness, joist spacing must be no mote than 450 millimeters apart. For plasterboard sheets of 12.5 and 15 millimeter thickness, this joist spacing increases to 600 millimeters.
• Tile battens are used to provide a strong anchor for nails and clips that secure tiles/slates and also give rigidity to the structure. For natural slate battens, 25x50 sized battens can be used with both 450 and 600 millimeter spacing. Fibre cement or concrete slates must also be 25x50 for 600 millimeter spans, but can be 25x38 for 450 millimeter spacing.
• The size for nails fixing battens should be 10 gauge or 3.35 millimeters by 54 millimeters long. Nails can be either ring shank or galvanized smooth round types. The ring shank type should be used where the maximum basic wind speed is over 26 metres per second.

BPM Maintenance are a property maintenance and building company located in the city of Bath that have skilled and experienced roofers able to take care of any Bath roofing problem.

Air Conditioning Inspections Part 4: What will be in the report?

As seen in part 3 of our air conditioning inspection series, property owners may often expect more from an air conditioning inspection that it actually provides. Following EU directives and initiatives related to sustainability and efficiency; regulations focusing on the future of Europe and the newer generations. What an air conditioning inspection will not do is inspect the safety and installation; that will require a separate inspection. However the primary inspection is required by law.

What will I see in my air conditioning inspection report?

• The name of your inspector
• The date of the inspection
• The name of the accreditation that the inspector has
• The name and address of the company the inspector works for, such as BPM Maintenance.
• The address of the building containing the air conditioning system inspected.
• Areas of the building served by the air conditioning system.
• Specification of the air conditioning system.

What will the report assess?

• Temperature control
• Time control
• Maintenance regime
• Controls & sensors
• Metering
• Loads

How will it assess these features?

The air conditioning inspection report will provide assessments detailing the effectiveness of the system and how it could be improved in cost effectiveness and energy efficiency. Methods to achieve this may include changing how the controls are used, times the system is on for, cleaning and repairs that may improve efficiency.

 The inspector will not carry out any of the recommendations that he gives, such as cleaning or changes to controls as this may pose some form of risk to his safety. If the inspector has the competence, skills and qualifications to do the work, and offers the service, then the inspector may carry out this work. However this would not be in any way connected to the inspection and must be arranged as a separate job.

As the inspection does not cover the actual maintenance or installation of the air conditioning system; it is often the case that the changes are simple, especially for issues such as the controls or time the system is active for. Therefore the building manager or administrator may be able to make the changes personally, during the inspection.

BPM Maintenance is a property maintenance company located in Bath that offers air conditioning installation and maintenance, as well as roofing, plumbing, electrical and many other services.

Air Conditioning Inspections Part 3: What do they cover?

Often property owners will expect more from an air conditioning inspection than the service actually provides. Thus it is wise for owners to be aware of the actual extent of what an inspection will cover; to prevent a false sense of security.

What will an air-conditioning inspection not cover?
It is important to note that it is not within the sphere of an air conditioning inspection to identify hazards associated with the air conditioning supply and systems, nor will an inspection pinpoint dangerous installation, operation or maintenance procedures regarding the air conditioning. A further and separate inspection by an air conditioning installation & maintenance expert, such as those at BPM Maintenance, would be necessary to ensure such dangers are not present or that they can be fixed in the case that they are.

What will an air-conditioning inspection cover?
The inspector will review documentation associated with the air conditioning system used to judge how well the system is maintained or the extent to which the manager of the system has information regarding its use. Additionally the inspection will cover the controls, the refrigeration and air movement equipment, with a goal to assess energy usage. The inspector may offer advice on how the performance of the air conditioning system could be improved.

What must the air-conditioning inspector have access to?

• Refrigeration & air movement equipment; which is likely located either in a plant room, on a rooftop or an exterior location with limited access.
• The air handling unit (AHU) and various ducts associated with the air-conditioning system.
• Fan coil units which are often concealed with suspended ceilings.

The inspector will have to be accompanied by the building manager or maintenance staff, and health & safety checks must be made in areas that have limited access.

BPM Maintenance is a property maintenance company located in Bath that offers air conditioning installation and maintenance, as well as roofing, plumbing, electrical and many other services.

Air Conditioning & F Gas Inspections Part 2

When is an Energy Performance Certificate required?

• Whenever a building is let, sold or constructed.

When is a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) required?

• For public buildings that cover an area greater than 1000m squared.
• And that the building is either:
• Actually visited by members of the public.
• Or used by a public authority or public institution that services a large number of people.

The other type of inspection that is required for air conditioning systems in addition to general air conditioning inspections is a F Gas inspection.

F Gas refers to fluorinated greenhouse gases that EU directives following the Kyoto Protocol are committed to monitoring. F gases include Hydrofluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons and Sulphur Hexafluoride. Hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs are what you will have to worry about as an owner of an air conditioning system as these are commonly used as a refrigerant. The gases are known to be far stronger contributors to global warming than carbon dioxide, so minimising their release is crucial to preventing anthropogenic climate change.

The EC Regulation 842/2006 states that leakage checks are to be carried out, that repairs must be completed to any faults found and that any F Gas that may have been released by these faults in the air conditioning system must be collected.

F Gas inspections follow a different timetable to general air conditioning inspections, which are only required once every five years.

The F Gas inspection timetable is as follows:

• The inspection must be performed at least once every twelve months for all air conditioning systems containing 3kg or more F gases.
• For air conditioning systems containing 30kg or more of F gases, an inspection must be carried out at least once every six months.
• Those air conditioning systems that contain 300kg or more of F gases must be inspected at least once every three months.
• Any air conditioning system that has had a leakage repaired must undergo another inspection no more than one month after the repair to ensure that it was sufficient to contain the problem.

BPM Maintenance are a property maintenance company based in Bath that offer air conditioning Bath and air conditioning installation Bath.