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Gas plays an important role in our everyday life. Although gas and gas-powered appliances are one of the basic and most important commodities, it also involves a lot of risks. A natural gas is highly combustible, which means anything that comes in contact can produce large amounts of heat. Imagine a gas leak in your home. Aside from the possibility of emitting a harmful byproduct called carbon monoxide which can later on lead to asphyxia or poisoning, there is also a higher chance of having a fire or explosion because of its combustibility characteristic.
Generally, natural gas is safe to use at home. The key to this is proper installation and ventilation. Further, there are several precautionary measures which you can employ, one of which is the use of a gas safe register.
What is a Gas Safe Register?
The gas safe register is the official gas registration body for the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Guernsey that is appointed by the Health and Safety Area. It is the official register of gas engineers who are qualified to work on boilers, cookers, fires and other gas appliances.
By law, all gas engineers must be registered in the Gas Safe Register.
What does it do?
Every year, thousands of people in UK alone suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning. To address this present concern, the Gas Safe Register was established to promote safety among the communities and household.
Gas Safe Register exists for a simple reason: to keep you and your family safe. This is done by making sure that all your gas appliances are fit, fixed and serviced only by registered gas engineers. It is also focused on improving and maintaining gas safety to the highest standards by ensuring that everyone in the register are qualified to work.
The public is what the gas safe register is trying to protect. Therefore, it has a national investigation team that tracks down illegally working individuals, conducts regular inspection of its gas engineers, educates it consumers by raising awareness of the gas safety and performs investigation regarding unsafe gas work.
Who is a gas safe registered engineer?
A gas safe registered engineer is an individual who is competent and qualified to work safely and legally with gas. He conducts inspections on gas work and renews his qualification regularly to make sure he is up to date with the latest industry changes and new technology.
At present, there are more than 123,000 registered gas engineers who are willing to assist you in your gas needs and concerns. These gas engineers are listed on the Gas Safe Register website or you may call its hotline to find the corresponding gas engineer in your area.
How will I know if the gas engineer is a registered one?
Every gas engineer registered in the Gas Safe Register has a Gas Safe Register ID Card. It contains the following –
- Photo
- Start and expiry date
- Unique license number
- A security hologram
- Business employer
- The logo of the registration body
At the back of the card, it should show –
- The type of gas work this individual is qualified to do
- The engineer’s qualifications are up to date
To make sure that you’re dealing with the right person, always ask for its register ID card before he starts to carry out his work. Remember that it is all about safety and you don’t want to compromise the safety of both your family and your property simply by not asking for the registration ID.
What type of gas work can be done by a registered gas engineer?
A gas engineer is tasked to carry out all gas work whether at home or in various commercial premises. This includes installing, repairing or servicing a gas boiler, or installing or repairing a gas fire, gas cooker or hob. Gas engineers can only perform gas work depending on their qualifications.
Take note that not all gas registered engineers are qualified to perform gas works. Hence, it is always important to check its Register ID card before the gas engineer can perform anything.
What else is being done by the Gas Safe Register?
Aside from the services of its gas engineers, Gas Safe Register is also working to raise gas safety awareness among the people. Keep in mind that badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can result to gas leaks, explosion, fire and even carbon monoxide poisoning.
Various support groups and individuals have expressed concern over this issue, thereby giving support on the advocacy of this company. Still your participation in this campaign is also valuable to spread the word on gas safety and how it can be prevented.
In order to raise awareness, the following tools are being used –
- Leaflets that can be distributed anytime, anywhere
- Posters for display
- Event speakers for forums, seminars or conferences
- Web banners for display on websites or emails
- Scripts and FAQs
- Ready to use texts for magazines, emails, newsletters and internal communication
- Press releases and articles
- Images
- Social media update though Facebook and Twitter
Through these mediums, Gas Safe Register aims to save lives by minimizing the risk of gas-related issues and accidents.
Landlord vs. Tenant Gas Safety
When it comes to gas safety, landlords will always have a legal obligation and responsibility to keep its tenants safe. Its legal duties cover the following types of accommodation –
- Residential premises for rent that are provided by local authorities, housing associations, private sector landlords, housing cooperatives and hostel
- Rooms leased in bed-sit type of accommodation, private households, bed and breakfast and hotels
- Rented holiday accommodations such as cottages, flats, caravans or narrow boats on inland waterways.
As for tenants, whether they rented a public or private accommodation or a holiday property, they should understand the legal obligations of their landlords.
Safety and security will always be a main priority. There are various ways to keep you and your family safe and that should never be compromised.
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