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Gas safety

Public safety top priority for Gas Safe Register

better gas safe than sorry thumbnail
Better gas safe than sorry

Leaflet explaining best practice gas safety guidelines

 
Better gas safe than sorry - Anne's story

Dangerous gas work can be deadly. Hear Anne's story to understand the devastating consequences of using an illegal gas fitter

Gas Safe Register has replaced the CORGI gas registration scheme as of April 9, 2009. Corgi ID cards are no longer valid. You can check card ID details instantly online.

Only Gas Safe Registered engineers can work on gas and fit, fix and service boilers, gas fires and most types of gas cookers in your home - it's the law.

Keeping the public safe from dangerous gas work is Gas Safe Register's top priority. If someone other than a Gas Safe Registered engineer carries out gas work in your home, you are risking the safety of your family and your property.

strong>"He took my money then my daughter's life"
Dangerous gas work can be deadly. Hear Anne's story to understand the devastating consequences of using an illegal gas fitter.

Simple search and identity check

Finding a Gas Safe Registered engineer is easy. You can find an engineer in your area online at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk - or by calling the free helpline: 0800 408 5500.

Every engineer on the Gas Safe Register carries an ID card with their own unique licence number. The back of the ID card lists what gas appliances your engineer is qualified to work on.

The message from Gas Safe Register is clear: before you have any gas work done in your home, make sure you ask for the ID card and check the front and back.

Gas Safe Register's top ten tips

  1. Have all your gas appliances, including boilers, gas cookers and gas fires, safety checked annually
  2. Always use a Gas Safe Registered engineer to fit, fix and check gas appliances in your home - it's the law and will help keep you safe
  3. Always ask to see an engineer's Gas Safe ID card and check the back of the card to ensure they are qualified to carry out the specific type of gas work you need
  4. To find a Gas Safe Registered engineer in your area, call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500 or go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk
  5. Recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning - headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness
  6. Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room
  7. Buy an audible carbon monoxide alarm for your home and make sure it is located near to your gas appliances in accordance with the manufacturer's guidance. Carbon monoxide can leak from appliances and kill
  8. Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose e.g. don't use a gas oven to heat a room or use a gas barbecue inside the house
  9. Always ensure there is enough ventilation for your gas appliances to allow them to burn correctly and make sure you are not blocking any air vents that provide an air supply to the gas appliance
  10. Anybody working with gas has to be Gas Safe Registered by law. To report someone working without registration, call Gas Safe Register on the free phone number 0800 408 5500.

Facts and figures

  • Gas Safe Register is the government approved registration scheme for gas engineers in the UK, Isle of Man, and Guernsey
  • In the UK, 21 million households use gas for heating, hot water and cooking
  • There are more than 120,000 Gas Safe Registered engineers
  • There are more than 60,000 Gas Safe Registered businesses
  • All gas appliances need regular servicing and a gas safety check every year (or in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions)
  • All landlords and housing associations are legally obliged to ensure that all gas appliances and related pipes and flues within their rental properties are checked every 12 months for safety. They must issue a copy of the certificate to the tenant within 28 days of the test and give a copy to any new tenants moving in. Further details can be found on the HSE website
  • Not all gas engineers can work on all gas appliances. Gas Safe Registered engineers carry an ID card that shows the type of gas work they are legally registered and qualified to do e.g. cooker, boilers, gas fires
  • There are approximately 7,500 unregistered gas fitters actively working in the UK
  • There are 250,000 illegal gas jobs done every year by unregistered gas fitters
  • Dangerous DIY - one in three people would fit a gas appliance themselves to save money
  • Badly-fitted and poorly-serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
  • Dangerous gas work can kill - 18 people died and 310 were injured in 2008-2009 (Source HSE 2008/09)
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning - 15 reported deaths 2008-2009 (Source HSE 2008/09)
  • Carbon monoxide symptoms can be mistaken for flu, food poisoning, viral infections and tiredness
  • A carbon monoxide alarm costs around £15 to £20 - but it is not a substitute for regular servicing
  • If you suspect an illegal gas worker report it to Gas Safe Register www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/reportillegal
  • If you've had gas work done in the last six months you can nominate your property for a free gas safety inspection www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/safetyinspection
  • Gas Safe Register also offers technical support for registered gas engineers. Call the technical helpline on 0800 508 5577, or visit www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/engineers.

Further information

Gas Safe Register
200 Cedarwood
Chineham Park
Crockford Lane
Basingstoke
Hampshire
RG24 8WD

Consumer enquiries
0800 408 5500
[email protected]

Engineer enquiries
0800 508 5577
[email protected]

You can find out more about carbon monoxide safety at RoSPA's dedicated website www.carbonmonoxidesafety.org.uk. Here you will find details of the recent successful BeGas Safe Programme delivered by RoSPA for the Gas Safe Charity, details of the latest report from the All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) and links to resources and organisations who are actively promoting CO awareness.

Get gas safe

Get Gas Safe

A website supporting gas safety education programme for children aged 9 to 11 years old has been launched. Created by Gas Safe Charity, and supported by Electrical Safety First and RoSPA, Get Gas Safe makes it easy for teachers to equip their pupils aged 9 to 11 with the information that they need to stay safe. The website, www.gassafecharity.org.uk is packed with materials to help teach children about gas safety, carbon monoxide awareness and general home safety. These include lesson plans, checklists and activity sheets. There is an opportunity to take an interactive tour round a house and put right common home safety hazards and a set of lively videos introducing the Perils, a family who have a lot to learn about safety around their home.

Get Gas Safe was launched with a schools theatre tour, introducing students to the Perils, and details of how to book the tour are also included on the website.


Contact Us

Public Health
+44 (0)121 248 2107
[email protected]
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