With this year’s Gas Safety Week well underway, the annual awareness campaign serves as a vital reminder of just how important health and safety are when it comes to using and maintaining gas appliances.
According to the Gas Safe Register, one in five homes contain unsafe gas appliances. Faulty or damaged gas appliances can lead to a number of dangerous and potentially fatal consequences including fires and explosions, or carbon monoxide poisoning.
While it is of course imperative that those working with the industry hold all the relevant qualifications to do so, there are steps that homeowners can take when it comes to protecting themselves and those around them. This includes making sure that any gas work carried out on their home is done so by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.
Gas Safe Registration
Any engineer who is registered will be issued a Gas Safe ID card. Always ask to see this card before any work is started, any registered engineer should have no issue with showing it. The card contains a seven-digit code which can be used to check an engineer’s registration status and the type of work they are qualified to carry out on the Gas Safe website here.
Recent research highlights how Gas Safe engineers are actually the most trusted tradespeople. The study, which surveyed more than 2,000 UK homeowners, found that 82% of people have greater peace of mind if they know their engineer is Gas Safe registered, while 79% who had previously hired a non-qualified or unregistered tradesperson now regret it.
Gas Safety Week 2023
To mark this year’s Gas Safety Week, the Gas Safe Register has launched a brand-new calendar celebrating Gas Safe engineers, complete with helpful advice from different engineers for each month of the year.
The calendar showcases what makes each engineer unique, represents real voices from across the UK and demonstrates the breadth and diversity of Gas Safe registered engineers.
Gas Safe Calendar 2024
Here, we’re highlighting each of the tips they’ve shared.
Gas safety tips from Gas Safe Registered engineers
- Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose.
- Be wary of signs that something could be wrong with your gas appliance, including lazy yellow flames, black marks or stains, increased condensation, intermittent pilot lights or the smell of rotten eggs.
- Always use a qualified and registered engineer.
- Set a reminder to ensure your gas appliances are serviced and safety checked every 12 months. Gas Safe offers a free reminder service here.
- Don’t attempt to fit, fix or move a gas appliance yourself.
- Know the signs of CO poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.
- Always check what’s behind a wall or floor before drilling, hammering or fitting screws.
- Know where your Emergency Control Valve (ECV) is located so you can quickly switch off a gas supply in case of emergency.
- If you’re moving or renting a new home be sure to request the latest paperwork concerning the maintenance and installation of the residence’s gas appliances and pipework.
- Never block or cover air vents and flues.
- Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm in each room where you have a gas appliance. Once fitted, test it regularly.
- Use the correct size pots and pans when using a gas hob to allow the correct amount of air to circulate around the flame, preventing fuel combustion and the production of carbon monoxide.
Gas Safe offers a variety of advice and resources to help everyone stay safe when using gas appliances. You can find more information here.