Raising awareness of the risk of gas & keeping your gas appliances safe.
The 11th – 17th September marks the 13th ‘Gas Safety Week’. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances.
Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can be very dangerous! They can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly with no warning, as you cannot see, taste or smell it.
We should make sure our own homes are safe by:
· Having gas appliances serviced annually and getting a safety check at the same time.
· Using a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer when having gas work carried out. Always check the engineers ID card which outlines what gas work they are qualified to undertake.
· Being aware of any warning signs that gas appliances are not working incorrectly, these include lazy yellow/orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, excess condensation, pilot lights which frequently blow out and/or error messages on the appliance control panel
· Knowing the main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headaches, nausea, breathlessness, collapse, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
· Using gas appliances only for their intended purpose
· Fitting carbon monoxide monitor in any room where there is a fixed appliance such as a gas boiler.
· Keeping air vents clear and chimneys clean.
· Never DIY on a gas appliance. Call a Gas Safe registered engineer if an appliance is not working correctly or you suspect there is something wrong with it.
Landlords must meet their legal obligations to keep their tenants safe too by ensuring:
· Gas pipework, appliances and flues are maintained in a safe condition.
· The installation including pipework, appliances and flues is checked annually for safety, you will be given a Gas Safety Record by the engineer.
· A copy of the Gas Safety Record needs to be given to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
· Landlords must keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record until two further checks have taken place.
· The maintenance and annual safety checks must be carried out by a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer
· If any gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is unsafe it must be removed immediately.
· There is a carbon monoxide alarm in any room where there is a fixed appliance such as a gas boiler or working fireplace or log burner that burns solid fuel.
In the event of a gas emergency you can call the 24 hour helpline 0800 111 999.
Finally, look out for others by ensuring their appliances are checked and serviced regularly if they are unable to arrange their own gas safety check or if they are unaware of what they need to do to keep safe.