Gas Safe Week 2024: Essential Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe

Gas is a top-rated energy source worldwide, including in the UK. It is considered the most economical, safe, and environmentally friendly fuel. Gas is equally helpful for homes and industries, whether directly supplied through a gas pipe network or cylinders or bottles.

Gas is considered safe unless it remains confined within the pipe network. However, as a highly combustible entity, gas is prone to fire if it leaks out of the pipes. Consistent leakage may also cause an explosion. Another severe threat associated with gas usage is the emission of carbon monoxide. This often happens due to incomplete combustion of gas caused by any fault in the gas appliances. 

In view of these potential threats, various rules and regulations have been made by the gas regulating authorities in the UK. These regulations protect the people and the properties against any possible gas accidents. It has been reported in a survey that the probability of avoiding gas accidents is quite high, when people strictly follow the gas safety protocols, as suggested in the gas safety regulations. 

To raise awareness about gas safety measures, the authorities in the UK initiated an annual campaign in 2011, referred to as "Gas Safe Week." Since then, it has become an annual event. This year (2024), the Gas Safe Week is scheduled from September 9th to 15th.

Introduction to Gas Safety Regulations

To ensure safe usage of gas and to ensure the safety of people and property, the authorities in the UK introduced, in 1998, a law titled “Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.” While keeping the basic law unchanged, as was stipulated in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, an amendment was made through "The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2018” to make it more effective and easier for the end users.

The above law and its further amendments make it compulsory for landlords to hire a qualified gas safety engineer to conduct an annual gas safety check on all the gas appliances installed on their properties. The gas safety engineer must be registered with the gas safe register. 

Gas Safe Register

Gas Safe Register is an official body in the UK responsible for registering qualified gas safety engineers and the gas service-providing companies having gas safety engineers on their payroll. Under the law, only the engineer registered with the gas safe register can work on gas installations and conduct annual home gas safety inspections. On successful inspection, satisfying himself that the gas appliances are functioning in conformity with the safety standards, he is also authorised to issue a Gas Safety Certificate, also called Gas Safety check records or, more commonly, CP 12.

Main features of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998

• All landlords are legally required to ensure the safety of their tenants against the possible threats of gas, such as fire, explosion, and emission of harmful gases, especially carbon monoxide. 
• Landlords are required to have their properties inspected for gas safety annually by a registered gas safety engineer.
• Annual gas safety inspection must be conducted on all gas installations and appliances, including boilers and flues. It also covers the gas pipework, especially identifying the weaker parts. 
• If the appliances and installations comply with the gas safety standards, the gas safety engineer will issue a gas safety certificate. 
• Gas safety certificates, also known as gas safety records, will remain valid for 12 months. It must be renewed before the expiry of the current certificate. 
• Renewal can be done in the last two months of the gas safety certificate currency. 
• The landlords are bound to provide a copy of the gas safety certificate to their current tenants within 48 hours and 28 days to their new tenants. 
• Landlords' responsibility is restricted to the gas appliances they install on the rented property. They are not responsible for the safety of appliances installed by the tenants. The tenants must ensure the safety of such appliances on their own. However, the gas safety engineer should also check these appliances during annual inspections.
• If one or more of the installed gas appliances develop a fault at any time, the landlords must arrange an inspection to fix the faults. If the engineer recommends or suggests replacing the faulty appliances, you may also be required to do so for the safety of the tenants. 
• The landlords are also responsible for routine maintenance and servicing of gas appliances, boilers, and flues.

The gas safety regulations are primarily aimed at making gas usage safe and secure for homes and industries. But to make them more effective, the end users need to be reminded of the importance of following the safety protocols without fail. That's why the authorities started the awareness campaign through the annual Gas Safe Week, which is planned to occur from September 9th to 15th this year. 

Gas Safe Week 2024

A gas safe week has become a regular annual event in the UK since its inception in 2011. The idea behind this initiative was to educate the people to follow the safety protocols while using the gas appliances in homes. It aims to create awareness about keeping the gas appliances perfectly maintained. People are made to realise the importance of regular upkeep and maintenance of gas appliances, as a poorly maintained gas appliance is prone to put them under threat of a gas accident, such as fire, explosion, or more importantly, carbon monoxide poisoning.

It is quite important to hold such gas safety awareness even regularly. Despite all safety measures and the implementation of gas safety regulations, several gas accidents occur every year. A recent report reveals that around 25% of cases of reported carbon monoxide poisoning happened due to faulty gas boilers. That makes it even more important to create meaningful awareness amongst the general public to keep their gas appliances in perfect working condition by ensuring regular service and maintenance. 

So, all the landlords, homeowners, and tenants must follow the safety standards and protocols, while using gas appliances.

Essential Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe – Gas Safe Week 2024

The annual Gas Safe Week is planned to remind the users to make their homes gas-safe. In most of the homes, there might be one or more faulty gas appliances, which apparently would be working satisfactorily. But the fault gradually becomes threatening and may at any time cause a serious gas accident. That's why homeowners and tenants need to ensure their safety against any possible risk associated with gas. 

Here are some useful tips for keeping your home gas-safe:

• Ensure that all the gas appliances installed in your home are in perfect working condition.
• Make sure that the gas appliances are regularly serviced and maintained properly.
• Remember that only a gas-safe registered engineer is authorised to work on your gas appliances. Never hire a gas engineer on the official panel of the Gas Safe Register.
• Always check the credentials of the gas-safe engineer before entrusting the job. Every gas-safe registered engineer is officially licensed by the Gas Safe Register. This license is valid for one year. So, do check their ID card, which has the official logo of the Gas Safe Register. The expiry date of the ID card is prominently mentioned on it. Don't hire an engineer who does not possess a valid ID card. 
• You can also cross-check their credentials by visiting the official website of Gas Safe Register.
• Regularly check the performance of your gas appliances. If any abnormality is observed, immediately call the gas-safe registered engineer to check and fix the problem. 
• Under the provisions of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998, every landlord needs to get their properties inspected for gas safety on an annual basis. This annual gas safety inspection is also required to be done by the gas-safe registered engineer. This is an essential step in getting a valid Gas Safety Certificate, commonly known as CP 12. If you are a landlord, ensure that your property has been inspected for an annual gas safety check and that a valid gas safety certificate is available for that particular property. 
• Make sure that the carbon monoxide alarm is installed in your home and is perfectly working.
• It is also important for the occupants of a home to understand the common signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, confusion, and vomiting. Also, ensure to react promptly in case of any such eventuality, as any delayed response may result in fatal consequences. 
• Always keep the chimneys and vents clear of any blockage or choking. 
• Make sure that boilers are also included in annual inspections and regular maintenance of other gas appliances installed on the property. 

Conclusion

Safety of people and properties is a crucial matter, especially when it comes to safety against possible gas-related risks and threats. It can be ensured by following the gas safety standards and protocols, as laid down in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. To further strengthen gas safety for homes, a gas safe week is observed each year in the UK, aimed at providing awareness to the general public about the importance of maintenance and service of the gas appliances under their use.  A poorly maintained gas appliance is at risk and may result in fire or explosion and, more importantly, cause carbon monoxide poisoning. 

The gas safe week is about to start this year as well. Make full use of this campaign to get awareness on what is the danger and how it can be prevented while using gas appliances in your homes.