A gas safety campaign being piloted in the North of England has helped save lives, new figures have revealed.
Since October 2012, Gas Safe Register has checked the safety of gas appliances in hundreds of homes across the region.
Nearly one in five gas appliances (17%) were found to be unsafe and could have resulted in gas explosions, fires, leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning, if left unchecked.
Almost 100 illegal gas jobs have also been investigated since October 2012 and more than one in 10 (11%) victims’ homes were left in a seriously dangerous condition (your Plumber in Hull has a proud history of campaigning against cowboy fitters in our area and of the danger involved in their employment). In these cases, the Register’s team had to shut off the gas immediately.
In the period between 2006-2011 the Health and Safety Executive reported hundreds of injuries in the North of England from gas explosions, fires, leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Gas Safe Register’s own data showed that in a 12-month period from June 2011 to July 2012, 640 (8%) of homes out of more than 8,000 checked were unsafe or downright dangerous. These inspections also revealed danger hot spots across the region. Gas Safe Register chief executive Russell Kramer said: “Gas safety is a life or death matter. This is therefore a really important campaign, as residents across the North can now find out how unsafe their area is and take action to protect themselves.
“By signing up to have an annual safety check, carried out by a registered engineer, and following a few simple tips, people can avoid the explosions, fires, gas escapes and carbon monoxide poisoning, which have already affected far too many people across the North in recent years.”
Darren Catchpole, MD of AA Gas Services, your Plumber in Hull, echoes these concerns. “So many of our call outs now involve solving problems caused by work carried out by non-registered ‘tradesmen’, many of which could have had catastrophic consequences. This recent survey simply adds weight to the campaign that AA Gas Services has been championing for a very long time. Your gas appliances, when installed, serviced and repaired by registered engineers such as AA Gas Services, are perfectly safe and add comfort to our lives. When corners are cut, however, and a few pennies are saved by employing ‘enthusiastic amateurs’, there is a real danger that these everyday items can become killers. Please, do not fall into this trap! Contact AA Gas Services for a quote – I know that you will be pleasantly surprised to find how little more it costs for a ‘proper job’ carried out by competent and qualified tradesmen!”
Please! Do not become a statistic! It is vital that qualified engineers are employed for all work involving domestic gas appliances. Winter has been extended this year so stay warm and, above all, stay safe!
