Stay safe this Gas Safety Week

Stay Gas Safe, Gas Safety Week

Gas Safe Register, the official list of registered gas engineers, is launching its second annual Gas Safety Week to raise awareness of gas safety in the home.

Paul Johnston, Chief Executive at Gas Safe Register said: “Every year, far too many people suffer from preventable gas related accidents, such as gas leaks, explosions, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. In the last year alone 18 people have died and a further 399 were hospitalised.

"With Gas Safety Week we want to encourage the public to only use Gas Safe registered engineers to fit, fix and service their gas appliances and to raise awareness of the importance of having an annual safety check.

RoSPA says: “Every engineer on the Gas Safe Register carries an ID card with their own unique licence number. The back of the ID card lists what gas appliances your engineer is qualified to work on”.

The message from Gas Safe Register is clear: before you have any gas work done in your home, make sure you ask for the ID card and check the front and back.

Top Tips to stay gas safe:

• Have your gas appliances safety checked every year. If you rent your home make sure your landlord arranges this
• Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix or service gas appliances
• Ask to see your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card
• Lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones could be a sign your gas appliance is not working correctly
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm. Choose an audible alarm which will alert you if there is carbon monoxide (CO) in your home
• Recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning - headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness
• Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose e.g. don’t use a gas oven to heat a room or use a gas barbeque inside the house
• Always ensure there is enough ventilation for your gas appliances to allow them to burn correctly and make sure you are not blocking any air vents that provide an air supply to the gas appliance
• If you smell gas call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999

Always remember that if someone other than a Gas Safe registered engineer carries out gas work at your home, you could be risking the safety of your family and your property. For more information on gas safety go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk