Gas Safe Register – Why?
There is one over-riding reason why the gas safe register exits and that is to protect people in their homes and work from one of the deadliest gases around: carbon monoxide (CO).
Gas appliances that are unsafe – whether by incorrect operation, faulty installation, inadequate repair, or poor servicing – can cause death, or result in long term health problems.
And carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas indeed: you can’t see it, you can’t taste it and what’s even worse, you can’t even smell it. It’s so deadly that you can literally die in your sleep, unaware that the gas can rob you of life within minutes.
In 2008 14 people died from CO poisoning and 234 people suffered health problems because of exposure to the gas.
That’s why the Gas Safe Register exists. To ensure that only those engineers registered on the Gas Safe Register can actually install, repair and service gas appliances. In other words, if you’re not on the safe gas register, then don’t fiddle with your gas boiler. Only use the controls to operate the boiler; you cannot, by law, attempt to repair, or service, or try and improve it. So hands off unless you are on the gas safe register.
So what exactly is carbon monoxide?
It’s basically a nasty by-product of the incomplete burning of gas, or liquid petroleum gas (LPG). But it’s not only gas of course, oil and solid fuels including wood and coal can also produce carbon monoxide.
It mainly happens if an appliance has been fitted badly, serviced infrequently, or repaired incorrectly. It can also result from flues, chimneys, or vents that are not installed properly in the first place, or become blocked, or damaged.
And there are a number of things to be aware of when ensuring that you don’t fall victim to carbon monoxide poisoning. Apart from only using gas safe register engineers to service, or repair your gas appliance, look out for a ‘lazy’ flame on your cooker, which may be coloured yellow, or orange, and hasn’t got the desired crisp blue flame that you should see when cooking. Furthermore, look for soot around your appliances, yellow, brownish staining, which is a sign that something isn’t quite right. And pilot lights that frequently blow out are another bad sign. Plus keep on eye on things if there are signs of increased condensation inside the windows.
If you spot any of the above problems, seriously consider giving your gas safe register engineer a call.
But to be on the best side of safe, invest in a carbon monoxide alarm, as this is the best way to keep yourself out of harms way.
Nowadays an audible carbon monoxide alarm can be purchased for under £20 from your energy supplier, the supermarket, or the DIY shop. Ensure you buy one which meets the officially approved standard of EN 50291 and also comes with the British, or European approval mark.
And don’t forget to buy an audible alarm; one that will wake you from sleep. The main danger from CO is that it can’t be smelt; meaning that asleep at night you could be completely unaware of the problem.
So, be safe, always respect the aims of the Gas Safe Register.
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