Gas Safety Week: Every check counts

Advice for tenants

We are proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2024, taking place 9^th-15^th September.

Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. It is coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.

The theme for 2024 is Checking—Every Check Counts; from checking that any engineer working on gas appliances in your home is Gas Safe registered and qualified for the work, to checking that you know what to do in a gas emergency, every check (no matter how big or small) helps to keep you gas safe!

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.

Here is a guide to some simple checks that you can do at home to stay gas safe:

 

• Check you have a current landlord gas safety record. By law, your landlord must keep gas pipework, flues and appliances 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 within 28 days. If your landlord refuses to provide you with one, you can report their details to the HSE: https://bit.ly/LGSRReport1

 

• Check any gas appliances that you own have been safety checked annually. 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.

 

• Check the engineer is Gas Safe registered. Anyone who comes to work on the gas appliances, pipework or flues must be Gas Safe registered and appropriately qualified for the type of gas work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and on the Gas Safe Register website.

 

• Check gas appliances for any warning signs. 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, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the appliance’s control panel. If you spot any of these signs contact your landlord, or, if you own the appliance, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer.

 

• Check your knowledge. Remember the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness. If you suspect CO, get into fresh air immediately and call the gas emergency services for your area.

 

• Check the carbon monoxide alarm. A carbon monoxide alarm is required to be fitted in every habitable room of a rental property containing gas appliances (excluding appliances used for cooking purposes). They should be marked EN50291 and display the British Standards’ Kitemark. It’s a good idea to regularly test these to ensure they’re still working.

 

• Check that vents or flues are not blocked. Vents and flues are there to ensure the gas appliances work safely. Blocking them could prevent this.

 

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