Bristol team to raise awareness of gas safety during national week

Bristol City Council Public Health Service staff will be supporting  Gas Safety Week 2012 next week (from 10 September) by checking the safety of mobile catering units. To mark the week the team will be contacting and visiting the units to ensure that they conform with Gas Safety Regulations. Gas Safe Register, the official list of registered gas engineers, is launching the second annual Gas Safety Week from 10 - 16  September, aiming to raise awareness of gas safety.

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.

“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.”

Bristol City Council works closely with Gas Safe and last year carried out a number joint visits to a range of food businesses to check on gas safety of appliances and associated pipework, which has enabled Officers’ to identify and deal with potentially unsafe premises effectively.

Bristol City Council's Cabinet Member for Communities Guy Poultney,said: “Helping the public stay safe is our top priority, and unsafe gas appliances can be lethal. Alongside Gas Safe Register we want to make sure people have the information that need to keep themselves and their families out of harm's way.”

Bristol City Council is the enforcing authority for health and safety at more than 10,000 premises in the city, with the aim of preventing accidents, injury and ill health for people working at and visiting Bristol workplaces. 

If someone other than a Gas Safe registered engineer carries out gas work either at their home or business, they  could be risking the safety of themselves,  employees, members of the public, their family and their property.

For more information on gas safety go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk

For more information on your responsibilities under health and safety legislation please contact health.safety@bristol.gov.uk

More information from Vicky O'Loughlin on 07747 460496