This week is Gas Safety Week, the twelfth annual event to raise awareness of gas safety in the home and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. Gas Safety Week is coordinated by the Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally qualified to carry out gas work.
Incorrectly fitted gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and is difficult to detect, as you cannot see, taste or smell it.
By looking after your gas appliances, you are protecting both your home and loved ones. This week, landlords and tenants across the country will also be reminded of their responsibilities to ensure maximum safety.
Gas Safety in the Home
Here are some top tips for keeping safe and warm in your home:
1) Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly, for example dark, sooty stains around the appliance and lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones.
2) Make sure gas appliances have proper ventilation and that the vents are never blocked. This keeps them operating safely.
3) Get a gas safety check once a year and ensure it is carried out by a licensed and qualified professional. You can check all Gas Safety registered engineers on their website here.
4) Use gas appliances only for their intended purpose. Don't be tempted to use them for something they weren't meant for (e.g using a gas cooker to heat a room).
5) If you ever smell gas, call the number on your boiler immediately.
6) Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
7) Never attempt any DIY on gas appliances.
8) Spread the word. Share vital gas safety information with friends, family and neighbours to make sure your community stays safe.
Essential information for Landlords
Landlords are legally responsible to ensure the safety of their tenants at all times. However, research has shown that more than one in three private landlords did not know it was their responsibility to get gas appliances checked.
Landlords are legally obliged to ensure the following:
1) From 1st October 2022, carbon monoxide alarms will be compulsory in all privately rented homes in England.
2) All gas appliances, including the installation of pipes or flues, are maintained in a safe condition throughout the entire time the property is occupied.
3) An annual safety check on all gas appliances and flues with a Gas Safe registered engineer is carried out.
4) A Gas Safety Record is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in.
5) You keep a copy of the Gas Safety Record until two further checks have taken place.
6) All gas equipment is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
Essential Information for Tenants
As a tenant, it is your landlord’s responsibility to ensure your home is gas safe. However, here are some things you can do to ensure maximum safety:
1) Check the landlord’s gas safety records to ensure they are up to date and meet requirements.
2) Look out for the warning signs on your appliances so that you can notify the landlord.
3) If you own any of the gas appliances in your home, you are the one that will need to ensure they have annual checks.
If you’re buying or selling a home, there are many things to remember, and it can be easy to forget to check your gas appliances are safe. However, according to the latest gas safety inspection figures, unsafe gas appliances are most commonly found in homes that have changed hands relatively recently. To learn more about gas safety and remind yourself of your gas safety responsibilities visit gassaferegister.co.uk.
