Gas Safety Inspections
- All gas appliances should be serviced in compliance with its
manufacturers instructions.
- A serviced appliance is a safe appliance just like an MOT on a car.
- A regularly serviced and maintained boiler is less likely to break
down.
The Law
The current legislation controlling the installation and
use of gas is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 which
came into force on 31 October 1998 and place duties mainly on installers,
landlords and some gas suppliers.
These Regulations aim to prevent injury to consumers and
the public from either carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning or fire and explosion.
In particular the Regulations require gas installation businesses
- to be registered with the Gas Safety Register, which is approved by
HSE to maintain a register of gas installation businesses
- monitor the competency of those businesses and their operatives to
undertake gas work safely and to investigate complaints against
registered installers
All gas fitting operatives are also required to be able
to demonstrate they are competent to undertake gas work safely normally by
being assessed against nationally accepted standards.
Landlords have duties to ensure that the gas appliances
and flues they provide for tenants' use are maintained in a safe condition
at all times and checked for safety each year by a Gas Safety registered
installer, and a copy of the check record is provided to the tenant.
Unlike landlords there is no duty on owner/occupiers of
private domestic property to have their gas appliances either maintained or
regularly checked for safety.
For this reason HSE, other government departments and the
Gas Safety Register have over the past few years, spent a considerable
amount of money on publicity campaigns advising owner occupiers to take such
action. Below are the main responsibilities for landlords, tenants, letting
agents and owner occupiers.
See also:
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