With heating systems across the country expected to be switched on in the coming weeks, Newham landlords are being warned of their legal obligations to keep gas appliances in good condition. They should arrange a gas safety check every 12 months and provide tenants with a record of the check, say the UK’s fuel safety charity, the Gas Safety Trust .
Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances are deadly as they can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning with thousands of people across the UK diagnosed annually.
Figures on such incidents for 2010/11 confirm that of the eight accidental fatalities reported involving natural gas in the home five were associated with central heating appliances, two with cookers and one with a space heater.
The most frequent single cause of all 50 incidents during the year was flue/terminal fault followed by lack of servicing and appliance fault.
“Based on evidence collected by the trust the likelihood of someone being involved in a carbon monoxide incident this winter is of serious concern,” said its chairman Chris Bielby.
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