Gas safety
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
These Regulations apply to rented property and require that gas appliances and any gas installation pipework at the property be maintained so that it is safe and does not pose a risk of injury to any person.
Each appliance must be checked for safety at least once every 12 months by a CORGI * registered contractor and a record kept of the dates of inspection, the defects identified and any repairs or replacement carried out.
Landlords must give safety records to each tenant at the property.
The landlord has a legal duty to make sure that the property is safe. Any appliance which burns a fossil fuel such as gas, coal or oil can produce carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is a gas which is highly toxic to people and animals. About 30 people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by faulty gas appliances.
It is important that appliances burning fossil fuels, such as gas fires or gas water heaters are properly fitted, serviced and safety-checked regularly and efficiently by approved competent persons.
It is so important because carbon monoxide can be very difficult to recognise or detect. It has no colour, no smell, no taste, and the symptoms can often be confused with those of other illnesses, such as a cold or flu.
Look out for these danger signs:
- stains, soot or discolouring around a gas fire or at the top of a water heater. This may mean that the flue or chimney is blocked. Carbon monoxide can build up in the room
- a yellow or orange flame on a gas fire or water heater
- a strange smell when the gas appliance is on
If you notice any of these danger signs, treat it as an emergency and call British Gas or a CORGI* registered contractor to arrange a safety check as soon as possible. Ignoring them could be fatal.
Remember - if you use, or allow other people to use, an appliance which may be unsafe you are risking lives and breaking the law. |
Safety Precautions
There are three main ways to reduce the risk from carbon monoxide poisoning. For the safety of residents, and visitors to the property, follow these steps:
- only buy appliances that have been tested for safety. Take care if buying a second-hand appliance, make sure that the dealer gives you a written guarantee and always ask for a copy of the user instructions
- never be tempted to fit gas appliances yourself or to use a contractor who is not a registered CORGI* installer. One mistake could cost a life. Always use British Gas or an installer registered with CORGI*. This is not only common sense - it is also the law
- your gas appliances must be checked and maintained at least once every 12 months either by British Gas or a CORGI* registered installer.
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Gas emergencies: British Gas 0800 111 999
Get information and help from:
British Gas/Health & Safety Executive 'Landlord Gas
Safety Inspections Information Line': 0800 300 363.
British Gas: 08457 888 400.
CORGI*: 01256 372 200.
The Gas Cooking Appliances (Safety Regulations 1989).
These Regulations apply to second-hand gas cookers:
- the cooker must be free from gas leaks which would jeopardise safety
- oven doors must adequately seal
- any burner ignition devices must work
- when a burner is lit all of the flame ports must ignite. The flame must be stable and not emit excess carbon monoxide
- on/off taps, and any device intended to automatically shut off the gas supply when any lid over the burners is closed, must work efficiently
- the surface temperature of the cooker, apart from a working surface, must not rise to a level which could cause personal injury or the possibility of fire
- all accessible parts must be free from sharp edges and any lids, doors, splashbacks, and so on, if made of glass, must be of a type which if broken would not lead to injury for example suitably toughened glass must be used
- the appliance itself and any pan supports must be stable. Anti-topple brackets should be properly and securely fitted
- every cooker must have marked on it all information necessary for its safe installation, adjustment, maintenance and operation. If marking on the appliance itself is not practicable, some of the information may be given in an accompanying document.
Your gas appliances must be checked and maintained at least once every 12 months either by British Gas or a CORGI * registered installer.
Gas emergencies: British Gas 0800 111 999
Information and help can be obtained from:
British Gas: 08457 888 400
CORGI*: 01256 372 200
Somerset Trading Standards: 0845 3459188
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