The Kingdom Group has pledged its support for Gas Safety Week (18-24 September 2017). The seventh annual Gas Safety Week will see organisations from across the UK work together, to encourage all gas consumers to make sure they have their gas appliances are checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer and protect against the dangers of unsafe gas appliances, such as fires, leaks, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
With 21 deaths and over 800 gas-related injuries in the last three years, it’s crucial that people have their appliances checked each year to be assured they are working safely and efficiently. People should also Trust the Triangle and check that their engineer is Gas Safe registered. Anyone working on gas appliances while not being registered is working illegally.
Jonathan Samuel, Managing Director for Gas Safe Register, said: “It’s great to have the support of the Kingdom Group this Gas Safety Week. By working together we can reach more people and help to reduce the number of dangerous gas appliances that could be lurking in the homes of the UK’s 23 million gas consumers. We know from our own investigations data that one in six gas appliances in the UK are unsafe2 meaning far too many people are victims of preventable gas related incidents.”
Kingdom’s Health and Safety Officer, Dave Roy said “this is the second year we have supported the Gas Safety Week campaign. With the colder weather approaching, many people will naturally be using their gas appliances more than ever over the coming months. It’s important that all gas appliances are safety checked at least once a year as poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Following on from last year’s successful Gas Safety Week with many Housing Groups, UK gas networks and Fire & Rescue Services, St Andrew Print have designed, printed and supplied us with “gas scratch and sniff” cards that increases awareness of the gas smell and what to do in the event of an emergency gas leak. We are planning on handing out these cards when visiting properties during Gas Safety Week.
Kingdoms Technical Services Manager, Bryan Livingston said “We are required by law to have safety checks carried out on all our gas appliances and pipework. It is therefore crucial that we can access your property to carry these out. Gas safety advice can be found by clicking on this link”:
https://www.kingdomhousing.org.uk/repairs/home/gas-safety/
Stay Gas Safe at home this Gas Safety Week by following these top tips:
- Sign up to a free annual gas safety check reminder service at staygassafe.co.uk.
- Be aware of the signs that an unsafe gas appliance may cause such as a lazy yellow flame instead of a crisp blue flame; soot or staining on or around the appliance; excess condensation in the room
- Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO gas is known as the ‘silent killer’ as it has no smell, taste or colour. The symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness, which can easily be mistaken for something else
- ‘Trust the Triangle’ and always ask to see an engineer’s Gas Safe ID card and check it to make sure the engineer is qualified to check or fit the appliance in question.
To find out about dangers in your area visit www.StayGasSafe.co.uk and to find a Gas Safe registered engineer call 0800 408 5500 or visit www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk.
