Gas Safety Week 17-23 September 2018
Support and Raise Awareness of the Importance of Being Gas Safe beginning with Gas Safety Week 17-23 September 2018!
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 co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.
In a recent case, the HSE investigated a Plymouth landlord after gas appliances at his rental property was found to be ‘Immediately Dangerous’. The landlord had failed to ever have gas appliances checked for safety at his rental property. In addition, he had arranged for an unidentified person to make alterations to a gas boiler flue and that person had left it in an extremely dangerous state.
The landlord pleaded guilty to breaching the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months and ordered to pay costs of £4,904.
This case is a reminder to landlords to make sure they only use installers on the Gas Safe Register and that gas appliances at tenanted properties must be checked for safety on an annual basis.
Stuarts Property Services are proud members of NALS (National Approved Letting Scheme) will again be supporting Gas Safety Week which runs from 17-23 September 2018. The eighth annual Gas Safety Week sees organisations from across the UK work together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Did you know that In the UK, 21 million households use gas for heating, hot water and cooking
Stuarts Property Services have systems in place to check properties have a gas safety certificates on file at the start of a tenancy and ensure that we document sending it to the tenants, and for all FULL MANAGEMENT properties maintain this by ordering annual GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATES on the landlords behalf as part of our service – it is important to note that it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS LANDLORD to ensure that you have an up to date Gas Safety Certificate. We only use GAS SAFE engineers and we check that they are registered by going onto the gas safe register – Click HERE to check your engineer now
All landlords and housing associations are legally obliged to ensure that all gas appliances and related pipes and flues within their rental properties are checked every 12 months for safety. They must issue a copy of the certificate to the tenant within 28 days of the test and give a copy to any new tenants moving in.
Being Gas Safe is so important and we are going to be listing some ways in which you can make sure your home, and family or tenant is protected:
| 1. Stay aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness. A simple way of preventing this is by installing a Carbon Monoxide Detector in the property. This gives an early signal that things are not right and then gives you the chance to call out a GAS SAFE Engineer to fix the problem |
|
2. Look out for warning signs that a gas appliance isn’t working properly – lazy yellow flames, excessive condensation and black marks/stains. However, gas appliances can be unsafe without displaying these symptoms. Call out a GAS SAFE engineer if you are concerned |
|
3. Provide enough ventilation for gas appliances to burn correctly and make sure no air vents or chimneys are blocked. – Check your property to ensure that your tenant has not blocked the vent. GAS SAFE engineers check this when conducting GAS SAFETY CERTIFICATES |
|
4. We at Stuarts only ever use engineers who are GAS SAFE REGISTERED ENGINEERS e and qualified to work on house hold gas appliances. |
|
5. Properties* that have Carbon Monoxide present we make sure a Carbon Monoxide Detector is fitted in the property. |
By taking care of your gas appliances properly you are taking care of your home, your tenants and your loved ones. Follow these few simple checks to keep you and your family safe.
- Check your Landlord’s Gas Safety Record. By law, your landlord must keep gas pipework, appliances and flues supplied for you to use in good condition. They must arrange a gas safety check of the appliances and flues every 12 months and give you a record of the check.
- Check any gas appliances you own every year. Gas appliances should be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Set a reminder so you don’t forget.
- Check your engineer is Gas Safe registered. You can find or check an engineer at https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer/ or call 0800 408 5500.
- Check your engineer is qualified for the type of gas work you need doing g. natural gas, domestic boiler. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and the Gas Safe Register website.
- Check for warning signs that your appliances aren’t working correctly, such as lazy yellow /orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out and too much condensation in the room.
- Know the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.
- Have an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.