Gas Safety Week: Every check counts
We’re proud to be supporting Gas Safety Week 2024, taking place from 9 to 15 September.
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 coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.
The theme for 2024 is “Checking—Every Check Counts”
Regular gas safety checks are critical – Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and without warning, as you cannot see it, taste it or smell it.
It’s our responsibility as a landlord to visit each home every year to carry out a service on your gas boiler and make sure you have a current gas safety record.
It’s the law – and we’re grateful to all residents who give us access to their homes. We very rarely need to take legal action to gain entry, but we’ll always take the steps needed to get your gas safety check done and recorded.
Here are some simple checks that you can do at home to stay gas safe:
- Check you have a current landlord gas safety record. By law, every year our contractor, Oakray checks pipework, flues and appliances provided by us in rented properties. They then provide you with a gas safety record. If you don’t have a copy or want to book a check, call us on 0330 343 0016 and select Option 1.
- Check any gas appliances that you own have been safety checked annually. We don’t check gas appliances that you own, so you should arrange for these to be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Check the engineer is Gas Safe registered. Anyone who comes to work on your gas appliances must be Gas Safe registered and appropriately qualified for the type of gas work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and on the Gas Safe Register website.
- Check gas appliances for any warning signs. Signs may include lazy yellow/orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the appliance’s control panel. If you spot any of these signs call us immediately on 0330 343 0016 and select Option 1. Or if you own the appliance, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Check your knowledge. Remember the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness. If you suspect CO, get into fresh air immediately and contact Cadent on 0800 111 999.
- Check the carbon monoxide alarm. As part of our landlord responsibility, we’ve fitted a carbon monoxide alarm in every habitable room containing gas appliances (excluding appliances used for cooking purposes).They should be marked EN50291 and display the British Standards’ Kitemark. It’s a good idea to regularly test these to ensure they’re still working. If you don’t have one, please call us on 0330 313 0016 and select Option 1.
- Check that vents or flues are not blocked. Vents and flues are there to ensure the gas appliances work safely. Blocking them could prevent this.
For further gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer, visit the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk.
