This factsheet is about gas safety in the home and is intended for those who care for vulnerable people.
The information within this factsheet has been formed by Gas safe dated July 2019.
About Gas Safe Register In the right hands gas is safe, but poorly fitted and badly maintained gas appliances or equipment can put you at risk of gas leaks, fires explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas appliances. Gas Safe Register can help you find a local Gas Safe registered engineer and tell you if they’re qualified for the type work you need them to do. Call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500 or visit GasSafeRegister.co.uk.
Check the ID card
Only an engineer on the Gas Safe Register should fit, fix or service gas appliances. It is important to check the identity of the gas engineer when they arrive to carry out gas work. All Gas Safe registered engineers carry a Gas Safe ID card; you may prefer to check this card for the person that you care for. All gas work is different, and the back of the ID card tells you if they’re registered for the specific job you need them to do.
Have regular servicing and maintenance
It is important that you encourage the person that you care for to get all their gas appliances checked regularly.
Get the gas boiler, gas fire and gas cooker checked once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Annual maintenance not only helps keep the heating and hot water working properly, it helps keep the person you are responsible for safe.
You can book this direct with us at Matthews Plumbing and Maintenance ltd via our website here.
Look out for signs of carbon monoxide
Unsafe gas appliances can produce a highly poisonous gas called carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide has no taste, colour or smell. It can make you feel seriously ill and can kill quickly without warning. Look out for the following signs that could indicate that a gas appliance is not working correctly and carbon monoxide may be present in the house:
Is the flame from the gas appliance yellow and lazy?
Have a look at the gas flame, for example whilst cooking. The flame should be crisp and blue. A floppy yellow or orange flame may be a sign that the appliance is not working correctly (except for fuel-effect fires that display this colour flame).
Is there sooting or staining?
Dark staining around an appliance (like a gas fire) is a sign that it may not be working correctly and is producing carbon monoxide.
Is there a build up of condensation?
A build up of condensation in the room where there is a gas appliance is a sign that an appliance may not be working correctly and is producing carbon monoxide.
How else can you help?
Is there a carbon monoxide alarm in the property? If they don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm, encourage them to buy one. They cost around £20 from DIY shops, supermarkets or their energy supplier. Get an audible alarm marked EN 50291 and the British Standards' Kitemark. Special carbon monoxide alarms are available for the hard of hearing.
We fit them and supply for £30+vat, simply contact us via our website
Are vents or chimneys blocked to stop draughts?
Gas appliances need ventilation to work correctly and it is important that these are not blocked to stop draughts.
Does the person you care for use the cooker to heat a room?
Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose. For example, it can be dangerous to use a gas cooker as a form of heating. If you see the person you care for using a cooker to heat a room you must turn the cooker off and open a window to get some ventilation into the room.
Is the person you care for renting their home?
In rental properties the landlord is legally responsible for the maintenance of the gas appliances that they provide, pipework and flues. They must also arrange a gas safety check with a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer every year and provide proof of this annual check by giving the tenant a copy of the Landlord’s Gas Safety Record.
For more information check our blog on Landlord Gas Safety