Gas Safety For Bristolians

Description:

Bristolians hiring central heating and plumbing engineers may be unaware that as of 01/04/09, CORGI gas registration is no longer a valid legal certification for service providers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has awarded the role of Great Britain's gas safety authority to the Gas Safe Register, a brand name used by the outsourcing company Capita. As such, anybody carrying out work on gas installations or appliances is now required by law to be registered with the Gas Safe scheme. Registered engineers are identified with the new yellow Gas Safe Register logo, and every qualified engineer must carry a Gas Safe Register ID card with their own unique licence number.

According to the new authority, the primary aim of Gas Safe Register is to help make Great Britain gas safe. The new scheme is working to improve consumer awareness of gas safety issues and target unregistered installers. Said Pete Eldridge, Gas Safe Register's managing director, ‘Gas safety is a life or death matter that affects the entire nation. As the new hallmark for gas safety in Great Britain, Gas Safe Register is raising public awareness of the dangers of using unregistered installers and explaining how easy it is to avoid them by always using a registered engineer.

We are encouraging consumers to make sure their work is carried out competently and safely by always asking to see a Gas Safe registered engineer's ID card. If they are at all suspicious that a trader offering gas services is unregistered, they can prevent lives from being endangered by reporting the individual to the Gas Safe Register and we are working with the Health and Safety Executive and trading standards to investigate and take action against those trading illegally.'

Incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances are a major cause of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the UK. They can also lead to gas leaks and explosions. Last year 14 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning related to gas and 234 suffered serious health problems. Alarmingly, new research from Gas Safe Register reveals that when it comes to gas safety, we can be far too trusting. Over half of Great Britain's population said they took it on trust that their gas engineer was properly registered and never properly checked that they were.

The new register aims to reduce the number of gas-related deaths and injuries every year by raising awareness that appliances should be inspected regularly by a qualified engineer. Almost a fifth of households (19.05%) with a gas boiler have not had it serviced for at least three years. Gas Safe Register recommends that all gas appliances are safety checked and serviced at least once a year.

Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Health & Safety Executive said: "We welcome the new Gas Safe Register that will give a fresh impetus to this important area of public safety. There will be new publicity initiatives on gas safety as a result of the change, whilst reducing the costs to registered gas engineers."

The HSE has also issued a statement thanking CORGI and its staff for their commitment and contribution to improving gas safety over many years. They said, ‘In the last decade, the number of people dying from gas related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has halved. CORGI's hard work has contributed much to this important achievement.'

Gas Safe Register's top tips to keep you and your family gas safe:

1) Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any gas work in your home - and check their ID card.

2) Make sure your gas appliances are safety checked and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines, or at least once a year.

3) If you live in rented accommodation, your landlord must arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out a safety check every year on all gas appliances. You should be given a copy of the safety certificate before you move in or within 28 days of the safety check. If you don't have this certificate, ask your landlord.

4) Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm, which will alert you if dangerous levels are present in your home.

5) If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak: turn off the gas at the meter, extinguish naked flames, open windows and leave the area. Seek medical advice if you feel unwell. Call the Gas Emergency Freephone number 0800 111 999.

Further information about the new scheme can be found at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk , or by calling 0800 408 5500

For Registered Gas Engineers - click here