Builder fined over blocked chimney that led to death

A BUILDER has been fined £15,000 after a 60-year-old woman died from exposure to carbon monoxide fumes caused by a blocked chimney,

John Martin Riv, 49, pleaded guilty to a contravention of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Haddington Sheriff Court yesterday.

He had been contracted to rebuild a chimney on a property in Gifford, East Lothian between 8 August and 26 October, 2009.

The court heard he failed to ensure it was fully cleared of any debris and masonry materials that had fallen in.

As a result, the chimney was left blocked, and fumes built up when the fire in the living room was brought into use, exposing three occupants to an accumulation of carbon monoxide.

One of them, Ceridwen Ross, 60, died on 26 October, 2009, as a result of the exposure.

Elaine Taylor, head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service health and safety division, said: “This case demonstrates yet again the importance of employers and contractors being aware of the risks not only to their own employees, but to all of those who may be affected by the work they carry out.

“If Mr Riva had taken the simple steps necessary to identify the risks associated with his work and acted upon them, Mrs Ross would not have lost her life in an entirely avoidable incident.

“Today our thoughts are with her family.”