SERT has pledged its support for Gas Safety Week (11 – 17 September 2023) and is working in partnership with GFM to provide apprenticeship training in gas and raise awareness about the importance of gas safety.
Gas Safety Week is here to remind the public how to keep themselves gas safe, and organisations across the nation are working together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
This year, Gas Safety Week focuses on celebrating the breadth and diversity of gas engineers and the essential role they play in keeping the nation gas safe. As well as reminding the public about gas safety, and offering tips to ensure they stay safe, including not attempting DIY on gas appliances and being aware of the warning signs of unsafe appliances.
Mark Edwards, CEO at SERT, said: “Training the next wave of Gas Safe engineers is pivotal, not only in ensuring the public can safely access everyday gas appliances, but in keeping our engineers safe as well.”
Jonathan Samuel, Chief Executive Officer for Gas Safe Register, said: “We’re delighted to see so much support for Gas Safety Week 2023 - now in its thirteenth year. This year we are celebrating the breadth and diversity of gas engineers, their skills, and experiences, which help to keep the nation gas safe all year round. And we’re reminding the public of the importance of always using a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to fix, fit or service gas appliances”.
Keep up to date with Gas Safe Register’s updates and advice throughout Gas Safety Week by following @GasSafeRegister on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and search #GSW23 and #GasSafetyWeek.
To keep you and your family safe, follow Gas Safe Register’s top tips:
- Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning; headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
- Look out for warning signs your appliance may be unsafe, such as a lazy yellow flame instead of a crisp blue flame, error messages or unexpected noises from your boiler or dark and sooty stains around your gas appliance.
- Make sure you leave vents unblocked as these are there to help your appliance work safely and efficiently.
- If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak, call the free 24-hour national gas emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999.
- Never attempt to work on a gas appliance yourself, always seek the help of a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.
- If you’re having your annual safety check, only employ a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to carry it out.
- Always ask to see your engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. Make sure you check the back of the card, which will state which gas appliances they are qualified to work on
Gas Safe Register is the official register for legally qualified engineers. You can find a registered engineer in your area by visiting the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk.
Gas Safe Register is the registration body appointed by the Health and Safety Executive to manage the register of qualified gas engineers in the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. It is a legal requirement for anyone carrying out domestic and commercial gas work to be registered and comply with the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. The register of more than 130,000 gas engineers held by Gas Safe Register aims to protect people from unsafe gas work. Gas Safe Register assesses the competence of engineers by inspecting the gas work they have carried out to make sure they are safe to work on gas. Gas Safe Register is focused on gas safety and campaigns to raise awareness of gas safety risks associated with using illegal gas workers.
Gas Safe Register deals with all aspects of the downstream gas industry covered by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. It covers both piped natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk
For more information about SERT contact
Email: info@sert.work