Gas Safety Week is run every year by the Gas Safe Register to help spread the message and offer support to the nation. So, as part of our pledge to our customers to keep you safe and save lives – here’s 5 tips for staying safe:
1. Use a gas safe registered engineer
Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, service and fix your appliances. It’s up to you to keep your appliances safely maintained to avoid serious problems such as carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
If you are renting, the responsibility falls to your Landlord to maintain appliances they provide in the property and you can always ask for a copy of your Landlords current Gas Safety Record. If you have your own gas appliances in a rental property however, it is your responsibility to have them serviced.
You can find and check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk
2. Check for warning signs
Your appliances might be trying to tell you something… Look for black marks or stains on or around your appliance, too much condensation in the room or flames that have gone lazy and yellow instead of blue and crisp.
3. Fit a carbon monoxide alarm
Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide (and smoke) detector in your property and test it regularly. If you are renting, Landlords are legally obliged to install a carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance.
There are six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning to make note of – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Early warning signs can save lives.
4. Ventilation is key
Make sure you don’t block any vents as they are vital to ensure gas appliances burn properly and only use them as intended to avoid a buildup of carbon monoxide. If your property has a chimney, make sure this is cleaned and checked regularly as well.
5. Know the emergency procedure
You should familiarise yourself with the emergency procedure in case you small a gas leak or suspect immediate danger, you can find it here: Emergency procedure
All this information and more can be found on the Gas Safe Register website.
