Cardiff Council is supporting the first national Gas Safety Week and is calling on its residents to take care and be gas safe.
Gas Safe Register, the official list of registered gas engineers, is launching its first ever Gas Safety Week from 12th – 18th September, aiming to raise awareness of gas safety in the home.
Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning. It’s important to take proper care of gas appliances.
Following these guidelines can help to keep you and your family safe:
- Make sure only a Gas Safe registered engineer works on your gas appliances
- Make sure gas appliances have a regular service and an annual gas safety check,
- Always check the engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card.
Paul Johnston, chief executive at Gas Safe Register said: “Every year, far too many people suffer from preventable gas related accidents, such as gas leaks, explosions, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. In the last year alone 10 people died and a further 330 were hospitalised. With Gas Safety Week we aim to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of your gas appliances which we hope will reduce the number of gas related injuries and deaths.
“If maintained and installed properly, gas appliances are safe. If neglected, gas appliances can kill. In Gas Safety Week we want everyone to find out when they last had all of their gas appliances, including cookers, fires and boilers, checked. If this was over a year ago, you should get them checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer as soon as possible to help ensure your family and home is safe.”
Cllr Judith Woodman, Executive Member for Communities, Housing & Social Justice, said: “Gas Safety Week gives everyone the opportunity to put gas safety at the top of their priority list. Making sure your gas appliances are safe to use could save your life. The Council is supporting the Gas Safe Register because we want people to understand the real risks gas poses and help people to take care and be gas safe.”
If someone other than a Gas Safe registered engineer carries out gas work at your home, you could be risking the safety of your family and your property.
For more information on gas safety go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk
