Your employer has a ‘duty of care’ to make sure, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfare while you’re at work. They should start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safety hazards. They have to appoint a ‘competent person’ with health and safety responsibilities usually one of the owners in smaller firms, or a member of staff trained in health and safety.
If you have boiler cover, which you can sometimes acquire from your energy supplier, alongside your gas and electricity tariff, the annual servicing of your boiler, which normally costs £80, may be covered. If you’re a landlord, you’re required by law to have all gas appliances supplied by you to be safety checked annually by a registered engineer. Pipework and flues should also be inspected. If you’re a tenant, you should receive a record of the annual gas safety checks on the property, known as the the Landlord Gas Safety record, at the start of your tenancy, and within 28 days of any new check.
During the inspection, the inspector will perform a thorough functionality and leak test of all components – regulators, flash back arrestors, hoses, torches and associated fittings. In addition, a report of their findings will be issued and the inspector will update you on current Health and Safety and BCGA Codes of Practice. Gas equipment can be a hazard at work if it is not maintained properly. Using unsafe equipment or failing to test equipment fully could result in accidents and serious injury in the workplace. See more info at CP7 Gas Inspections.
Generally, an appliance safety check will just ensure that the appliance is safe to use, whilst a service is more thorough and may include more specific checks as well as an inspection of the appliance’s condition and cleaning. A full gas installation safety check should include inspection of all gas appliances as well as all accessible pipework. Why are gas safety checks and services so important? Most importantly, having your gas appliances safety checked annually will give you peace of mind that they are not putting you, your family, or your home in danger, and that they are safe to use. There are other benefits of regular safety checks and services as well though.