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833,000 people in the
North West are failing to get gas safety checks
MORE than 833,000 people in the
North West of England are putting their health and finances at risk by not
getting their gas appliances safety checked every year; which, according to
a new survey among gas engineers in the region, costs as little as £48.
In the last year there have been more than 15,153 gas emergency call outs to
homes in the region, the equivalent of 41 every day. On top of this the gas
authority; Gas Safe Register; has found dangerous gas appliances lurking
in 1 in 7 of the 14,916 homes it has inspected in the North West in the past
5 years. In Manchester, 1 in 3 homes had a dangerous appliance, while in
Liverpool, it was just 1 in 185. These types of dangers have led to 6 deaths
and more than 300 injuries in the last year alone across the UK.
Left unchecked, gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and
carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Not only can these kill you, they can also
result in damage to your home which can run into thousands of pounds to
rectify. Common problems associated with faulty or badly maintained gas
appliances include black staining on surrounding walls, burst gas pipes,
excessive condensation and in extreme cases, house fires and explosions.
Having a gas safety check is a legal requirement for landlords, however for
homeowners the onus is on them to get this done. To mark this year's Gas
Safety Week, Gas Safe Register is calling on homeowners to protect
themselves and their property by having a safety check.
Jonathan Samuel, chief executive of Gas Safe Register comments:- "With
the average cost of safety checking your gas boiler at just £48, it's a
small price to pay to keep you and your family safe and prevent damage to
your home. While we're seeing more people getting gas safety checks compared
to last year, millions are still taking risks so we're reminding people to
make sure all their gas appliances are safety checked every year."
The public can find out the number of unsafe gas appliances and gas
incidents there have been in their local neighbourhood by visiting Gas Safe
Register's interactive gas map at:-
StayGasSafe.Co.UK. People can
also sign up to a free annual gas safety check reminder service.
To keep you and your family safe, follow Gas Safe Register's top tips:-
► Get your gas appliances safety checked and serviced by a Gas Safe
registered engineer every year. If you live in rented accommodation your
landlord has a legal obligation to get this done.
► Recognise the warning signs that your gas appliances are not working
properly including lazy yellow flames and black marks around the appliance.
► Know the symptoms of CO poisoning, including headaches, dizziness, nausea,
breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
For more information about what's going on during Gas Safety Week, follow
the twitter newsfeed @GasSafetyWeek, visit:-
GasSafeRegister.Co.UK or call:- 0800 408 5500.
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