Gas: The real risks
63 convictions in 2008 related to gas safety regulations
Gas is an essential service to businesses and customers. Yet there are clear risks if appliances are faulty or poorly maintained, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, fire and explosion. So it is vital to understand your gas health and safety obligations – for both the security of people and to avoid costly disruptions:
Regulation 35 of The Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 states ‘it shall be the duty of every employer or self-employed person to ensure that any gas appliance, installation pipework or flue installed at any place of work under his control is maintained in a safe condition so as to prevent risk of injury to any person’. This ‘duty of care’ is to your employees to ensure you comply with these regulations. Failure to do so could endanger lives and result in prosecution by the HSE.
Your appliance, installation pipework and flue needs to be checked by a GasSafe™ registered technician who will provide a Safety Record of the work. Should an accident occur you can use this paperwork as proof that you complied with Regulations.
Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 place responsibilities on a wide range of people, particularly Landlords who must do the following:
- Arrange maintenance by a GasSafe™ registered engineer for all pipework, appliances and flues which they own and have provided for tenants’ use
- Arrange annual gas safety checks by a GasSafe™ registered engineer
- Keep records of safety checks for 2 years and issue a copy to each tenant within 28 days of the check completion, and to any new tenants before they move in
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