Raising awareness of Gas Safety

With the annual Gas Safety Week hosted by Gas Safe fast approaching, we are again reminded of how important it is to be gas safe.

The figures from last year’s Gas Safety Week revealed that 76% of people own a smoke alarm but less than half of people (47%) own an audible carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer because it can’t be seen, tasted or smelt. Every year there are around 60 deaths from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in England and Wales. The main risk for carbon monoxide poisoning is unsafe gas appliances, such as your boiler or gas hob. The Gas Safe Register recommends the gas appliances should be checked annually. One in four of the 2,000 UK adults polled don’t follow this guidance, and a shocking one in ten don’t even know if their appliance is Gas Safe registered.

Gas Safe Register recommends six simple steps to stay gas safe:

1. Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer
2. Double-check both sides of your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card. This way you know that they’re registered and qualified to work on your gas appliances.
3. Have all gas appliances serviced and safety checked every year.
4. Familiarise yourself with the six signs of CO poisoning. These are: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness
5. Check appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly. These signs are black marks or stains on or around the appliance, lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones and condensation around the room
6. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm for a second line of defence against carbon monoxide poisoning.

It is a legal requirement that all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. Our dedicated Supply Chain Team perform thorough checks to ensure all engineers working for our contractors are compliant. You can rest easy that any install, repairs or services are being done by a registered professional, so you know you are getting the best possible service.

You can follow along and support Gas Safety Week with the hashtag #gsw19