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.

Only use an engineer who appears on the Gas Safe Register and who can show an identity card to prove it-to install, repair, and service gas appliances The Gas Safe Register is the official list of businesses and engineers who are competent and qualified to do gas work. To be listed on the register, engineers need to hold relevant qualifications and demonstrate competence. Registration must be renewed every year and qualifications updated every five years. The Gas Safe Register also conducts inspections of the work of registered engineers.

DSEAR Regs (Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmosphere Regulations) 2002 (SI 2002 No.2776) employers must put control measures in place to eliminate risks from dangerous substances or reduce them as far as is reasonably practicable. This includes maintenance of equipment and fitting of flashback arrestors. The Acetylene Safety (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations require that all mobile systems shall be fitted with a purpose designed regulator for acetylene, a flashback arrestor incorporating a non-return valve and a pressure and/or temperature sensitive cut-off valve. When using acetylene, you must ensure that these legal obligations are met. See extra info on CP7 Gas Checks.

The telephone number to call if you suspect a gas leak in your home is 0800 111 999. Make sure that you have the number saved in your phone or pinned up somewhere easy to locate in your home. If you’re calling on a mobile phone, make sure you go to a neighbour’s house or walk a safe distance from your home before using your phone, never use a mobile phone whilst still inside your house if you suspect a gas leak. Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: If carbon monoxide is leaking out into your home this can be more difficult to detect as it is colourless and odourless. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm or your alarm is not working properly, and carbon monoxide starts leaking into your home then you may start to experience some physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.