Is your home Gas Safe?
10 September 2012
The second annual Gas Safety Week runs from 10th – 16th September aims to raise awareness of gas safety in the home.
Carrickfergus Borough Council's Environmental Health Section is supporting the Gas Safe Register in promoting this years Gas Safety Week. Whether you use gas appliances in your home or at your workplace you should be aware of the dangers they pose. If maintained and installed properly, gas appliances are safe. If neglected, gas appliances can kill.
In Gas Safety Week we want everyone to find out when they last had all of their gas appliances, including cookers, fires and boilers, checked. If this was over a year ago, you should get them checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer as soon as possible to help ensure your family and home are safe.
Paul Johnston, chief executive at Gas Safe Register said: “Every year, far too many people suffer from preventable gas related accidents, such as gas leaks, explosions, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. In the last year alone 18 people died and a further 399 were hospitalised. With Gas Safety Week we want to encourage the public to only use Gas Safe registered engineers to fit, fix and service their gas appliances and to raise awareness of the importance of having an annual gas safety check.
Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly with no warning. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm to alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
The six main signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are
- headaches
- dizziness
- nausea
- breathlessness
- collapse and loss of consciousness
For further information please contact:
Owen Fulton Environmental Health Section
Web: http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/
