A COMPANY has been fined after it falsely supplied electrical safety certificates to two car washes in Runcorn – despite them both being declared unsafe.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out visits at Super Hand Car Wash on Bridge Street and Top Star Hand Car Wash on Halton Road.
The workplace regulator was joined by colleagues from Cheshire Police, trading standards, and immigration authorities, with both premises found to have dangerous electrical systems in place.
This resulted in HSE inspectors taking enforcement action against both businesses, forcing them to immediately stop work.
The car wash owners were advised to use a registered electrical contractor to ensure that electrics were made safe for the public and people working on site.
Epco Energy Solutions Ltd was engaged to carry out the work and certify the installations as being safe to use.
However, an examination of the certificates by one of HSE’s specialist electrical inspectors found that details in them did not match the installations found on site.
A subsequent visit to both car washes found that the installations were still dangerous and presented a risk of serious injury or electrocution, including to members of the public.
Electricity at Work Regulations require all electrical installations to be maintained in a safe condition, and that systems should only be worked on by a competent electrical contractor.
It was found that the certificates had been generated using password-protected software and electronically signed with the signature of sole Epco director, Mohammed Naeem.
The business, of Worlsey Road in Eccles, was found guilty after a trial at Warrington Magistrates’ Court of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
As a result, it was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay full court costs of £15,239.
Following the hearing, HSE inspector Rose Leese-Weller said: “Due to having such a close relationship with water, car wash owners must ensure that their electrical installations are maintained in a safe condition.
“As well as being safe to use, they must also be fit for purpose to prevent serious personal injury or electrocution to anyone in the vicinity.
“These car washes were dangerous and unsafe – to both those working there and to members of the public visiting the sites.
“Electrical installations at all workplaces must be maintained in a safe condition and safe to use.”
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