Apollo Property Services Group, one of the UK's largest property service organisations, has been ordered to pay more than £300,000 in fines, costs and compensation after seven people were hospitalised when carbon monoxide (CO) fumes escaped into their homes.
The company, now part of the Keepmoat Group, was sentenced on 17 December in relation to the incident which took place at the Abbey Road Estate in Camden, between 18 February and 18 March 2008.
During a two-week trial, The Old Bailey heard that seven residents were exposed to carbon monoxide because boiler flues servicing the flats were obstructed during roof refurbishment work.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) established that Apollo knew that some flues may still be serving boilers in the properties, but did not have an adequate system for inspecting them and work proceeded without the checks being carried out.
In addition, the company failed to ensure that the work was adequately supervised and did not make sure that workers were familiar with safe working practices in relation to gas flues or were aware of the risks.
Apollo was fined £165,000, ordered to pay £117,582 in costs and £19,000 in compensation after being found guilty of breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety etc. at Work Act 1974.
HSE inspector Helen Donnelly said: 'Despite the client's adviser warning the company to consider the risk of blocking or covering flues at the start of the refurbishment project, the company did not assess the risks to residents or have a safe system to ensure flues serving live boilers were not obstructed.
'Moreover, as part of one of the UK's largest property service organisations, Apollo Property Services Group Limited is very experienced in refurbishing housing estates so there is no reason for this incident to have happened.'
