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.
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that an employer or self-employed person has a responsibility to provide and maintain plant and systems of work that are, so far as reasonably practical, safe and without risk to health. Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2306: The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires that the user of an installed gas system and the owner of a mobile gas system shall ensure that the system is properly maintained in good repair to prevent danger. See more details on CP7 Gas Checks.
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.