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Back to SearchTSSA Shuts Down Scarborough Furnace Company
Guildwood Furnace Services Inc. pleads guilty to operating without proper registration and using an unlicensed technician
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, November 18, 2013) – The Ontario provincial court has found Guildwood Furnace Services Inc., based in Scarborough, Toronto, guilty of two counts for operating without proper TSSA registration and for using an unlicensed technician.
Guildwood Furnace Services Inc. pled guilty to two charges under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 and was levied a total fine of $20,000 – plus the mandatory 25% victim surcharge – by the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto. The court also imposed a 60-day sentence and 2 years of probation on Kerry Gamble, an employee of Guildwood Furnace Services Inc., for performing work on a gas appliance without a TSSA certificate. The financial penalty and incarceration shuts down Guildwood Furnace Services Inc. and prohibits the company and Mr. Gamble from engaging in any work on fuel-fired appliances.
In January 2011, a Toronto homeowner contacted Guildwood Furnace Services Inc. to report problems with their gas boiler furnace. Guildwood dispatched Kerry Gamble to examine the furnace and, upon inspection, Gamble advised the homeowner that a component was required to repair it. Gamble returned the next day with the part and discovered the homeowner unconscious. He called 911 and the homeowner was transported to hospital by ambulance. Gamble left without completing the repairs, did not turn off the gas to the home and did not advise first responders that he was at the home on a service call. The homeowner’s son visited his mother in the hospital and then returned to her home to spend the night. He was found deceased in the home three days later. A Coroner’s report indicated the cause of death was from acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
Following an investigation by TSSA, it was determined that the source of the carbon monoxide release was the faulty boiler. The investigation also revealed that Mr. Gamble was not certified to perform work as a gas technician, and that Guildwood Furnace Services Inc. was not registered as a contractor and had failed to take every reasonable precaution to ensure their employee Gamble was properly licensed to work on such appliances. Gamble and Guildwood subsequently pled guilty in court to contravening provincial safety regulations – Guildwood Furnace Services Inc fined $20,000 and Mr. Gamble ordered to serve 60-days in custody and put on probation for a 2-year period.
“These are serious violations of Ontario’s public safety regulations,” said John Marshall, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program. “An incorrectly serviced gas appliance can easily lead to carbon monoxide poisoning that can kill or sicken unsuspecting residents – as happened in this tragic circumstance,” added Marshall. “This should be a stern reminder to all fuel contractors that breaking the law will lead to prosecution and, on a finding of guilt, lead to severe penalties, including jail time.”
In Ontario, all technicians employed in the installation, repair or servicing of natural gas appliances must possess valid TSSA certification, which ensures fuels contractors are properly trained and familiar with Ontario’s safety rules, and all fuels contractors must be registered with TSSA. TSSA reminds the public that any fuel-fired appliance should be installed, serviced and/or inspected by a TSSA-certified technician. If in doubt of a technician’s certification, contact TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772.
Full media release attached below.
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