The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has agreed to give support to Gas Safety Week (September 15th-21st), and has done so for it’s fourth year.
The fourth annual Gas Safety Week will see the whole industry coming together to bring gas safety to the forefront of people’s minds. Dangerous gas work can kill, so it is vital that gas appliances are safety checked at least once a year.
If left unchecked, poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. In the last year alone, 343 people were injured and ten people died as a result of gas related incidents.
John Thompson, chief executive at APHC said:
“APHC is proposing some solutions to reduce incidents of faulty gas appliances and fatalities. A primary measure would be a mandatory annual MOT style check-up to make sure appliances are properly maintained, with potential faults detected prior to them becoming a silent killer.
“Secondly, it should be a mandatory requirement to have a CO detector installed when replacing a boiler in England and Wales. This requirement is already in place for solid fuels, and we recommend for it to be extended to cover all fuel types. These measures should also apply to all types of combustion appliances to reduce dangers to consumers across the board.
“APHC, along with other leading industry colleagues and led by Plumb Center, is lobbying for CO detectors to become mandatory wherever a carbon-burning appliance is installed. You can join the petition at:Â www.no-to-co.co.uk. Only around 15% of UK homes have CO alarms, yet every year over 4,000 people are admitted to hospital with CO poisoning.”