gas safety having an annual gas safety check makes your home safe Please note that our Plus Dane customer contact telephone numbers refered to throughout this leaflet have now changed to: 0800 169 2988 [free from most UK landline phones] 0300 123 4560 [local rate from a mobile phone] www.neighbourhoodinvestor.com
gas safety If you smell gas or fumes in your home If you think you can smell gas or fumes at any time of the day or night immediately: Turn off the gas supply at the valve next to your gas meter. If you do not know where this is, ask our engineer the next time they visit you; Turn off all appliances that you think have gas escaping or are giving out fumes; Open doors and windows to air your home and help disperse any gas or fumes; Do not turn electrical switches or appliances on or off; Do not smoke, use naked flames, mobile phones or any other things that could ignite the gas or fumes; Do not use any door entry systems, you must open the door to people. You should then call the National Gas Emergency freephone number 0800 111 999. The gas emergency service will immediately send a suitably trained gas engineer to your home to repair the problem or to make the gas installation SAFE, you will not be charged for this visit. You should then call us on 0500 026 079. You should not turn the gas supply back on until we have checked that it is safe to do so. Our Policy The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, says that it is the landlords duty to make sure that all gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for your use are safe. This includes things like central heating boilers and gas fires. We will ensure that we comply to this duty by carrying out a gas safety check in your home every year. This leaflet explains to you what we do as part of the gas safety checks and how you can help us. 2
Customer commitment Your safety is our main concern. Every year over 30 people die in the UK from carbon monoxide poisoning. This is usually caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maintained. By completing our annual gas safety check we will help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The annual gas safety check will include testing of all gas appliances, pipe work, flues and smoke alarms in all our homes. We will also check any appliances in your home that you own. At the end of each safety check, we will give you a record of the check which tells you what the outcome was. If you do not have a gas supply to your home, we will still visit you every year to service any smoke alarms in your home. Your commitment to us We have a legal duty to carry out a gas safety check every year and you have a duty to allow us access to your home to carry out these safety checks. We plan all work in advance so that we can give you plenty of notice that we will be calling to complete the check. We will tell you we are coming by sending you an appointment letter giving you the date and time. If this appointment is not suitable, you can call us to re-arrange. We offer evening and weekend appointments. When our engineer visits, they will carry an identification badge with their picture and a telephone number on the back. Never let an engineer into your home without checking their identification. You can call the number on the back of the badge if you want to confirm the identify of the engineer. 3
gas safety If you do not allow us access to carry out the annual gas safety check you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement. If we cannot get into your home we will start legal action and you will have to pay our legal costs. Gas Safety Your Responsibilities As well as having a responsibility to allow us access to your home, you also have responsibilities which include: You must report suspected gas leaks or fumes and follow the safety advice given; You must allow us access every year to make sure your appliances are working correctly and safely; If you employ anyone to carry out gas work in your home, you must ensure they are registered with Gas Safe Register. Always double check by asking to see their Gas Safe Register Card. This will include their details, photo ID, and list what area s of gas work they are qualified to work on. There will also be a contact telephone number / website to check authenticity; You must contact us immediately if you or a member of your family is sleeping in a room which has an open flue appliance such as a gas fire so that we can check that you are safe to do so; Whilst you may enjoy carrying out DIY work around your home, you must not attempt to do any gasrelated work or repairs. Not only could you be breaking the law, but any work you carry out could be life threatening for you and your neighbours. Any gas related work or repairs must be done by a Gas Safe registered installer. If you have any questions or concerns about gas safety, please call us. Staying safe Here are some tips for staying safe in your home: NEVER use a gas appliance if you think it is not working properly. 4
Signs to look out for include yellow or orange flames (except for live fuel-effect fires, which display this colour flame), soot or stains around appliances; NEVER cover an appliance or block the convection air vents; NEVER block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or airbricks; NEVER block or cover outside flues; NEVER fit draught exclusion strips to doors of a room that contains a gas appliance; NEVER allow anyone to carry out work on a gas appliance unless they are a fully qualified, Gas Safe Register registered installer; ALWAYS have your gas appliances checked for safe operation, prior to using any new ceiling or extract fans. Gas Safe Gas Safe Register exists to protect you, your family and your home from dangerous gas work. Gas Safe is the official gas registration body for Great Britain, appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and replaced CORGI on 1 April 2009. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer is legally allowed to install or check gas appliances, boilers, hobs, ovens or fires in your home. All our gas engineers are Gas Safe registered. Frequently Asked Questions Here are some answers to questions that we often get asked about gas safety: Q What is carbon monoxide poisoning? A When gas and other fuels such as coal, wood and oil do not burn properly, excess carbon monoxide is produced which is very poisonous. You can t see it, smell it, taste it but even small amounts of carbon monoxide can kill within minutes without warning. 5
gas safety Symptoms include: Headache; Drowsiness; Tiredness; Nausea; Chest and stomach pains. These are symptoms that can be easily confused with a common illness such as flu or general fatigue. If in doubt seek medical advice and contact the National Gas Emergency Provider. We will then contact you to agree what we will do and when we will do it. If a gas fire fails the safety check, and it is necessary to disconnect the fire, we will replace this with an electric fire. Q Do I still have to have the check done if I have gas but no gas appliances? A Yes. If you have a gas supply to your property but do not have any gas appliances, we still need to inspect the pipe work inside your home. Q What if one of the gas appliances in my home fails the safety check? A The Gas Safety Record will contain details of any problems found at the time of the inspection and any action that has been taken. 6 If an appliance fails the safety check, it may be necessary to disconnect it. The engineer will tell us what we need to do to make the appliance safe. Q What happens if I don t allow you access to complete the gas safety check? A You must allow us access into your home. If you do not allow us access to complete the gas safety check we will start legal action against you to gain access to your home. Any costs that we incur as a result of taking this action will be charged back to you.
Q I work full time. When can I have my gas check completed? A We offer a full appointment system which includes the availability of weekend and evening appointments. Call us to arrange for your safety check to be completed at a time suitable for you. Customer Feedback We value your views and would like to hear from you about what you have thought about the service you receive from us. If you wish to make a complaint, compliment or give us a suggestion about the way your case has been handled you can do so by contacting us on 0500 026 079. Alternatively, see our Customer Feedback information leaflet. 7
Translations available on request Other languages, Braille, audio format & large print available on request Plus Dane Group Shepherds Mill Worrall Street Congleton CW12 1DT 3.2 C Produced by Plus Dane Group communications team July 2012