What to do if you smell gas.

If you or any of your staff smell or think they smell gas you should immediately:
Turn off the gas meter.
Do not operate any electrical switches.
Try and ventilate the area by opening windows and outside doors.
Notify your gas supplier by phone 0800 111 999
You should also notify a CORGI registered company to attend as the gas supplier will turn off the gas at the meter and if the leak is on the internal pipe work it will have to be repaired by a suitably qualified person.
It is a good idea to have your gas mains tested on a regular basis.
Some buildings require a line drawing of the gas supply system..

Propane

All propane installations are now covered by the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Act 1998 and as such must be installed and maintained by a suitably qualified person. The back of a service engineers registration card will indicate if he is competent to work on propane gas. The legislation covers bottled gas as well as bulk storage installations.
Do not take risks with propane it is heavier than air and can leak into cellars and drains before it is detected. Installations in boats and caravans must be checked annually.

Air Vents

Do not block any air vents either in the building structure or on the unit itself.
Air gas and oil firing equipment need combustion air if air pathways are blocked the gas cannot burn properly and deadly Carbon Monoxide is formed. ALL GAS, OIL and SOLID FUEL BURNERS can produce carbon monoxide.
Do not store anything near a boiler or warm air heater.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is a deadly poisonous gas produced by the incomplete combustion of all fossil fuels. Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are:
Drowsiness, weakness, headaches, impaired concentration and pains in the chest. The above symptoms can often be mistaken by doctors as other illnesses. Sometimes the symptoms are ongoing and the affects can buildup in the body. Regular servicing of gas appliances greatly reduce the chance of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of Carbon Monoxide can cause irreversible brain damage. Do not fall asleep in a room with a gas fire unless you are sure that it is fully safe and well serviced. Any yellow flames or sooty marks are a sure sign of problems.

Is it really a breakdown? (some useful checks)

Are the controls (time, Clock, thermostat etc) set to the right value to the fire unit?
Has the pilot light blown out?
Has there been a power cut?
Have any fuses blown?
Have you got fuel?
The most common causes for a false call out are 1 a switch on the off position and 2 run out of oil.

Competency of Engineers

When you have any work carried out on your premises it is up to the factory manager or his nearest equivalent in rank to ensure that the service engineer carrying out the work is suitably qualified.

This is easily done by asking to see his CORGI registration card. Everybody in the gas industry who is competent to work on gas will have a card. If they cannot show you the card then you must not let them work in your premises as it is an offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Act 1998 and both parties could be fined.

Once you have seen the card look on the back and you will see a list of the areas that the man is cleared to work on. If you are in a factory or commercial premises then the card must indicate that the service engineer is cleared to work on NON DOMESTIC properties.

If you have any doubts then you can check the veracity of any card by ringing this number 01256 372499. Apart from keeping yourself on the right side of the law you will be doing the trade a great favour in checking for competency of your service engineer. No suitably qualified person will object but it will prevent unqualified or part qualified people working in the industry. Help us to clear out the cowboys ask to see the CORGI registration card and CHECK IT.

Landlords Certificates

All rented properties require a landlord to have the gas appliances checked and serviced once every 12 months. After the inspection a landlords certificate is issued a copy of which must be either displayed in the rented property or shown to the tenant on request.

Are you a landlord?

Do you rent or lend a property to a third party? If so you are a landlord remember it is not just the straight forward property lets it also includes things like:

• Tied cottages.
  
• Stewards with flats in licensed properties.
  
• Holiday hired homes.
  
• Security person tied homes.
  
• Granny flats.
  
• Someone renting a property on a pepper corn rent.

You don't have to receive a cash rent to be classed as a Landlord.