Gas Safety Week: Fighting for a Gas Safe Nation

13-19 September is Gas Safety Week – an annual event to help raise awareness of gas safety in your home.

By taking care of the gas appliances in your home through regular checks and servicing, you can help keep you, your family and your neighbours safe from the dangers of gas leaks, fires and even explosions in your home.

Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and without warning, as you cannot see it, taste it or smell it.

By taking care of your gas appliances properly you are taking care of your home, your loved ones and even looking out for your local community. Follow these few simple checks to keep you and others safe.

We’re working in partnership with Gas Safe Register – the official list of gas safe engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas appliances and utilities – to bring you some simple things you can do to stay gas safe at home.

Check out these top tips for staying gas safe:

• Check your Landlord’s Gas Safety Record. By law, your landlord must keep gas pipework, appliances and flues supplied for you to use in good condition. They must arrange a gas safety check of the appliances and flues every year and give you a record of the check. If your landlord refuses to provide you with one, you can report their details to the HSE: bit.ly/LGSRReport
• Check any gas appliances you own every year. Your landlord is not responsible for gas appliances that you own, so you should arrange for these to be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Set a reminder so you don’t forget at StayGasSafe.co.uk.
• Check your engineer is Gas Safe registered. You can find or check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500, or ask to see their Gas Safe ID card when they arrive.
• Check your engineer is qualified for the type of gas work you need doing e.g. natural gas, domestic boiler. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and the Gas Safe Register website.
• Check for warning signs that could indicate your (or others) appliances are not working correctly. Signs may include lazy yellow /orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out and too much condensation in the room.
• Know the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.
• Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm and look out for your community by making sure your friends, relatives and neighbours  have one too. Check they are marked EN50291 and display the British Standards’ Kitemark.

For gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk.