Gas maintenance in student accomodation

Much student accommodation is powered by electricity, not gas, due to the risk of any incidents arising- whether it be a maintenance fault, or students failing to use appliances safely (i.e. leaving the gas on). In Halls of Residence, electric cookers, boilers and so on are often used for this reason- first year students living away from home for the first time are going to struggle.

The main concern is moving into your own house in later years- you are faced with a lot more responsibility, (paying bills, organising broadband, gas, electricity and water supplies etc.)  and the likelihood of gas powered appliances is increased.  It is crucial to know what must be done in order to live safely and happily.

The fact:

15 students died and 234 suffered major injuries as a result of Carbon Monoxide poisoning last year.

A landlord in Exeter was fined in August for illegally fitting a gas boiler. The boiler was reported to have been fitted and left in an extremely dangerous manner, which could have led to a very serious gas explosion.

You can’t see it. You can’t taste it. You can’t even smell it. But carbon monoxide can kill without warning in just a matter of hours.

How can this be prevented?

Knowing the risks:

You are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if:

• your appliance was poorly installed;
• your appliance is not working properly;
• your appliance has not been checked for safety or maintained regularly;
• there is not enough fresh air in the room;
• your chimney or flue gets blocked up;
• you allow an engineer who is not on the Gas Safe Register to install or maintain your appliance(s).

Knowing the symptoms:

You are particularly at risk when you are asleep because you cannot recognise the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

These include:

tiredness,

drowsiness,

headache,

nausea,

pains in the chest and stomach pains.

These symptoms can mimic many common ailments and may easily be confused with flu or simple tiredness.

Knowing who is responsible:

• Any gas appliance or flue installed in the premises, such as central heating boilers not installed by tenants, is the responsibility of the landlord to maintain.
• An appliance, such as chimneys connected solely to an appliance owned by a tenant is the responsibility of the tenant, not the landlord.

What should landlords do to ensure the safety of their tenants?

• Correspond with the tenants- Let them know when a gas safety check needs to be done. The contract you make with your tenants should allow access for any safety checks or maintenance that needs to be done. You must not use force to enter the property, so letting the tenants know when any maintenance work will be done is imperative for ease of access.
• Know how often appliances must be serviced- This information can be found in the manufacturers guide. If this is unclear, it is recommended that appliances are serviced annually unless a Gas Safe engineer advises you otherwise.
• Test appliances between tenancies- If you are re-letting a property, make sure that all appliances are safe, and that you have an up to date gas safety record. When previous tenants leave, it is advisable to have a Gas Safe engineer check and test appliances and pipes.
• Keep records- Although there are no requirements to keep records of when gas safety checks have been carried out, it is advisable to have a track of this. You do not have to provide tenants with this record, but if something goes wrong with appliances, it may be of use to you to be able to show that you have done your best to ensure their safety through regular checks.
• Know who is responsible for repairs- For any general wear and tear of appliances; it is the landlord’s duty to keep them in prime condition. However, if any appliance is damaged by the tenant, your contract should make it clear as to who is responsible for repairing it. Often it should be the onus of the landlord to repair it, and force the guilty tenants to pay for any damage done.

What should students do to ensure their own safety?

• Know what the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are (they may mimic the symptoms of food poisoning, viral infections, flu or tiredness)
• Ensure your landlord uses a Gas Safe Registered engineer to do any gas work in your home.
• Make sure your accommodation is fitted with Carbon Monoxide detectors.
• If the accommodation is fitted with battery powered Carbon Monoxide detectors, change the batteries regularly and test it to make certain that it works.
• Your landlord should provide you with an annual Gas Safety Record- if they have not, query them and ask for this document- it is important to know your house is safe.
• If you are in any doubt, contact your University Accommodation Office, talk to your landlord, or contact the HSE.