Essential information to keep your home and family out of harm’s way.
If the gas appliances in your home are unsafe, you could be at risk from fire, explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning. By choosing a qualified Gas
Safe Register engineer you can be sure your gas appliances are installed and maintained according to the strictest possible safety laws.
Tragically, around 50 people die each year in the UK from gas-related carbon monoxide poisoning. These deaths are almost always occasioned by poorly installed, badly maintained or defective gas appliances. Research suggests that 23% of homes have one or more defective gas appliance – and almost one in ten are judged to be at risk of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) simply because people are relying on old, inefficient boilers that have rarely, if ever, been serviced.
There are around four million old, inefficient boilers operating in UK homes. If you’re still running one, you could be putting your family at risk from CO poisoning – not to mention wasting hundreds of pounds’ worth of energy each year. CO is a silent killer and failure to properly care for a boiler puts lives at risk. It is essential that gas appliances are maintained in good condition and subject to annual safety checks by a Gas Safe Register engineer.
Here’s how to spot the danger signs
You can neither see nor smell carbon monoxide but there are vital signs to look out for:
sooting or staining on or around your boiler or appliance;
excessive condensation in the room where a gas appliance is installed;
lazy, yellow-orange gas flames instead of blue.
Gas Safe – the registration scheme for gas heating engineers
With effect from 1 April 2009, the Gas Safe Register replaced CORGI as the Government-authorised scheme for gas safety in Great Britain. To guarantee that the gas installer you employ is of the very highest standard, look out for the Gas Safe logo – or visit the website at www.gassaferegister.co.uk for a list of approved installers. All HVCA members that undertake gas installations, as well as being members of the Government-backed TrustMark scheme, transferred to the new Gas Safe regime in April 2009, so you can be assured they meet the very best industry standards.
Be alarmed
Fitting a European Standard certified audible carbon monoxide alarm is an essential second line of defence after having your appliances safety checked.
Only buy alarms marked with the EN50291 safety standard – this may be written as BSEN 50291 or EN50291 – and with the CE mark.
Follow the manufacturer’s fitting instructions.
Avoid the older "black spot" detectors as they give no audible warning.
If you can smell gas – or suspect you may have a gas leak – call 0800 111 999
Rented property rules
If you are a tenant, your landlord must make sure all gas appliances and equipment are safe and that the property receives an annual safety check and a gas safety certificate issued by a qualified engineer.
Landlords who fail to ensure the safety of gas appliances in their properties will be in breach of Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and can face a substantial fine.
LANDLORDS! Don’t put lives at risk – poorly maintained gas appliances can leak lethal quantities of carbon monoxide (CO). To learn more about your legal responsibilities, visit www.hse.gov.uk and download the booklet, A Guide to Landlords' Duties: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, or call the Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363.
TENANTS! Don’t put yourself at risk – insist that your landlord provides you with copies of a valid gas safety certificate before you move in, and after each annual safety check. If he refuses, you should contact your local Health and Safety Executive (HSE) area office on 0845 3450055.
Don't put People at Risk
Always choose a Gas Safe Register engineer. Visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk, call 0800 408 5577, or look for the Gas Safe logo before you employ a gas engineer. And ask to see the engineer’s official Gas Safe Register photo-ID card.
Tenant checklist – your landlord must ensure that:
all heating appliances and installations are maintained in good order;
gas appliances have an annual safety check carried out by a Gas Safe Register engineer;
a record of the safety checks is kept and issued to you within 28 days of each annual check.
Carbon Monoxide Consumer Awareness Alliance
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no colour, taste or smell and can be produced by appliances that use gas, wood, oil or coal. Carbon monoxide can also be present in smoke from solid fuel or oil appliances. More information about this silent killer can be obtained from the Carbon Monoxide Consumer Awareness Alliance (COCAA). Visit COCAA's website at www.becarbonmonoxideaware.com.
