07 March 2007 - Minister announces new domestic gas safety drive
Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie today announced a new scheme to improve domestic gas safety. This follows a review which found unacceptably low public awareness about the risks of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from gas appliances.
The new regime will be overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and delivered by industry via a reformed gas installer registration scheme. A single provider will be appointed to run this new scheme, which will be responsible for driving and coordinating industry action to raise public awareness of gas safety; provide new incentives to registration (such as simplifying the registration process); and possibly have new limited enforcement work.
There will be a strict framework, setting out performance and requirement criteria, to allow strong oversight of the new scheme by the HSE.
Lord McKenzie said:
“Complacency on gas safety is not an option. New research suggests that nearly half of all households using gas had received no information about the dangers it can pose. While the number of gas related fatalities has reduced over recent years, tragic incidents still occur. The new scheme is designed to ensure industry works together to raise public awareness and so further reduce deaths and incidents caused by ignorance of gas safety risks and especially CO poisoning.”
Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission said:
"HSC/E's aim has been to look for ways of making a good record on gas safety even better for gas consumers. In our "Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond" we said there were things that would need to be done differently, with others getting involved. The new gas safety regime announced today by Lord McKenzie, on advice from the Commission, will do just that by reducing bureaucracy, seeking to simplify the law, strengthening industry participation and securing the best use of resources. The changes we are making are about delivering improved gas safety for millions of gas consumers. I look to all the stakeholders involved to work together to that end".
The new regime follows extensive stakeholder consultation. Competitive bids will be invited to operate the new scheme for a five year period. The new provider will be appointed by the HSE, on advice from a panel with independent representation. Performance and efficiency will be monitored by the HSE throughout the duration of the appointment.
Notes to editors
- There were 16 fatal gas related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoinings in 2005/06, which is half the number there was ten years ago. Reported non-fatal incidents in the same period are broadly static at around 200 per year.
- Further information on domestic gas safety issues can be found on the HSE web site at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/index.htm
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