Residents warned of gas appliance dangers

RESIDENTS are being urged to stay safe in their own homes as the council heads-up an awareness campaign on Gas Safety Week.

Rotherham Council and Willmott Dixon have been hitting the streets to promote gas safety as part of the events which runs from September 14 to 20.

The two organisations hosted a stall in All Saints Square earlier today in which they spoke to residents about dangerous gas appliances and the importance of having professionals check their appliance.

Rotherham Council staff also held a quiz on gas safety with two lucky winners receiving a £50 shopping vouchers, donated by Willmott Dixon and their main heating contractor Scarbrooks.

The fifth annual Gas Safety Week will see organisations across the UK working together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning for all residents.

Cllr Denise Lelliott, Advisory Cabinet Member for Housing and the Local Economy, said: "Gas safety is important for everyone whether they own their own home or are tenants of the council or another landlord.

“The large majority of our council tenants are very good at keeping their appointments with our Gas Safe engineers to test their heating systems.

“Last year, more than 70 per cent of appointments were made and kept, whilst 99.9 per cent of properties have a current Gas Safe certificate.

“However, tenants also have responsibility for making sure some of their own appliances are safe, such as gas cookers, and residents living in their owner-occupier homes are responsible for checking their own heating systems and appliances.

“We want to make sure everyone is kept safe in their own homes, so Gas Safety Week provides us with a good opportunity to spread these important messages."

In the last year, at least 68,000 homes in the UK escaped deadly gas incidents such as these, by engineers switching off dangerous appliances.

Nearly one in two of these incidents were caused because a gas appliance had not been regularly serviced and had been left in a poor state.

To find out about dangers posed by gas appliances, and how to avoid them, visit www.StayGasSafe.co.uk.

To find a Gas Safe registered engineer call 0800 408 5500 or visit www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk.