Britons may be aware of the dangers a gas boiler can pose - such as fire, explosion or carbon monoxide leaks - but how can they ensure that their household is kept safe?
When arranging to have a
gas boiler serviced or fitted, Britons should remember the name Gas Safe
TM Register, it has been advised.
In order to
carry out work on gas appliances legally in the UK, a member of the register should be contacted.
Beware cowboy engineersHowever, Gas Safe
TM Register - which replaced Corgi in April of this year as the country's trademark in gas safety - has unveiled research suggesting that a quarter of a million gas jobs are carried out each year by individuals who are not legally qualified.
Such work could see households being put at risk of their gas appliances exploding, setting on fire or leaking carbon monoxide, which can prove fatal when inhaled and put all those living in a property - and even those residing nearby - at risk.
"One in ten of the illegal gas installations we investigated in the last nine months have been immediately dangerous and we had to disable the appliances straight away to make them safe," said Phill Brewster, Gas Safe
TM Register's national investigations manager.
And he added that just because someone is qualified and registered to work with a
gas boiler, does not automatically mean they are qualified to work with gas fires.
Staying safeBritons can have peace of mind that any
engineer they hire to carry out work who is carrying a Gas Safe
TM register membership ID card will be legally qualified to carry out the work.
And they may also wish to ask such a professional what the best appliances are to increase their energy efficiency and allow them to benefit from
cheaper gas bills.
The group recently advised that students preparing to leave for university accommodations should also be gas safe and claimed that they may wish to request to see a landlord's gas safety certificate and install a
carbon monoxide alarm.
Such action could provide both students and their parents with peace of mind.
