5 Things You Need To Know About Gas Safety

Why Is It Necessary To Have An Annual Safety Reminder?

Gas fuels 23 million residences in the United Kingdom. Gas is used to heat homes, provide hot water, and prepare food. According to a 2009 Gas Safe Register study, 7,500 gas fitters were reported in the UK for operating illegally, and according to a 2011 Gas Safety Week study, 43 percent of Britons overlook the annual inspection of their gas appliances.

In the last year, almost 700,000 occurrences involving dangerous gas appliances have been reported. Poorly installed gas appliances can result in gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning. That is why they should be inspected annually. With the heating season beginning in September, now is the time to arrange a gas safety inspection!

Steps to Take to Ensure Gas Safety

Every year, inspect your gas appliances – the flue or chimney, safety devices, and gas appliances to ensure they are burning gas properly. If you are a tenant, you can get a copy of the gas safety record from your landlord – a document that certifies the gas fitting has been inspected and fulfills national safety standards. Legally, landlords are required to provide you with a gas safety record.

Verify that your engineer is registered with Gas Safe — only Gas Safe registered engineers are legally permitted to install, repair, and service gas appliances. At GasSafeRegister.co.uk (the UK’s official gas safety organization), you can search for a Gas Safe certified engineer by postcode, firm name, service, and area of work.

Examine your engineer’s Gas Safe ID card — all necessary information is located on the back of the card, including all forms of gas work for which a certified engineer is qualified. Each ID card bears the holder’s unique license number, which may also contain information on the holder’s range of credentials.

Additionally, the organizers of Gas Safety Week advise people to be aware of the six symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness – as well as the warning signs of unsafe gas appliances, which include increased levels of condensation in the home, black marks on the appliances, and yellow or orange flames on the gas cooker.

Additionally, for maximum gas safety, you may install an audio carbon monoxide alarm that will notify you to any carbon monoxide leaks in your home.

Report anyone you suspect is working illegally with gas appliances – you should contact the Gas Safe Register. They will conduct an investigation into the engineer in question and his or her work.

Nominate your property for a free gas safety inspection from the Gas Safe Register — if you’ve had gas work done on your property in the last six months, you can nominate it for a free inspection to ensure it complies with all applicable safety standards.

Add the free telephone number 0800 111 999 for Gas Emergency to your address book.

Gas Safety Map – Check for Registered Unsafe Gas Appliances in Your Area

The Gas Safety Map is a national interactive map that was developed by the Gas Safe Register to highlight the Kingdom’s most risky postcodes.

At StayGasSafe.co.uk, you can examine the map, enter your postcode, and check the number of unsafe gas fires, cookers, and boilers in your neighborhood. This unique map, which is part of the Gas Safety Campaign, serves the same aim – to encourage people to have their gas appliances inspected for safety on a regular basis.