Gas Safety Week 2021

To keep you and your family safe, follow Gas Safe Register’s top tips: 

• Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service your appliances. You can find and check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.
• Check both sides of your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card. Make sure they are qualified for the work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of the card.
• Have all your gas appliances regularly serviced and safety checked every year. If you rent your home ask for a copy of the landlord’s current Gas Safety Record.
• Know the six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Unsafe gas appliances can put you at risk of CO poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
• Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.
• Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
• Keep vents and chimneys clear. Make sure you don’t block any vents, as they are vital to ensure gas appliances burn properly, and chimneys need to be cleaned and checked regularly. 
• 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).
• Know the emergency procedure. If you smell gas or suspect immediate danger, isolate the gas if possible, ventilate the property and call 0800111999.
• Spread the word. Share vital gas safety information with friends, family and neighbours to make sure your community stays safe. 

All our gas engineers are Gas Safe registered and carry a Gas Safety card with their own unique license number, which shows the type of gas work they are qualified to do. You can ask to see this when the gas engineer calls to repair or service your gas appliances.

Unsafe gas work and poorly maintained gas appliances pose a serious risk to you and your loved ones.

Working with gas can be dangerous, so it’s crucial that you never try to fix, fit or move appliances like your boiler or cooker yourself. Poorly fitted or serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning; it just isn’t worth the risk.

By law, anyone carrying out work on gas appliances and fittings as part of their business must be competent and registered with us. That’s why we’d advise that you only ever use a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out gas work in your home.

When your engineer visits, you’ll want to ask to see their Gas Safe ID card which confirms they’re appropriately qualified to safely carry out the work in question.

To help you and your family stay safe while you’re making improvements to your home, here are our top tips:

• Don’t DIY with gas appliances, use a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Don’t block or cover air vents and flues; 'they are essential for safely working gas appliances'
• Never try to remove or repair a gas appliance yourself
• If you’re having building work done, always ensure your contractor is qualified
• Check where your gas pipes are located - make sure you don’t accidentally hit them during DIY work