You also have responsibilities for your own health and safety at work. You can refuse to do something that isn’t safe without being threatened with disciplinary action. If you think your employer isn’t meeting their responsibilities, talk to them first. Your safety representative or a trade union official may be able to help you with this. As a last resort, you may need to report your employer to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland or to the environmental health department of your local authority.
Britons collectively used 1,233 ktoe (kilotonne of oil equivalent) of gas in their homes in 2017. 85% of us heat our homes with gas-powered boilers, which also heat water, and most of us it to cook meals: while just 30% of us have gas ovens, 61% have gas hobs. And while accidents are rare, they can be dangerous. Gas leaks can cause injuries, as well as explosions and fires which can destroy homes, cause serious injuries and claim lives.
Statutory Instrument 2000 No 128: The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 200 requires gas equipment to be examined regularly. Consequently, gas welding and cutting equipment must be checked regularly. The BCGA’s Code of Practice 7 (CP7 – the safe use of oxy-fuel gas equipment) and Guidance Notes 7 (GN7 – the safe use of individual portable or mobile cylinder gas supply equipment) recommends that regulators and flashback arrestors be checked annually and replaced every five years. See more info at https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/welding-equipment/cp7-cp47-gas-equipment-safety-inspections.html.
Where to safely position your alarm: Your carbon monoxide alarm should be fitted in the same room as the gas appliance and located at least one metre away from it. The alarm should be positioned at head height and should not have anything obstructing it or be located near a source of ventilation or condensation (eg. a kettle). Maintaining and testing the alarm Your carbon monoxide alarm should have a ‘test’ button. Make sure that you make a habit of regularly testing your alarm to check that it is still working and the batteries do not need changing.
