Gas Safety Certificate out of date by 6 weeks...where do I stand??

tbs624

TJ27 wrote: »

...(I'm told by some fella in my department that cabon monoxide isn't poisonous. Apparently it's technically not a poison, it's an asphyxiant.)

Safety data sheets describe carbon monoxide as a haemolytic poison: it attaches itself to the iron atoms in the haemoglobin and thereby affects the transportation of oxygen within the body, resulting in red/deep pink tingeing to the skin rather than blue. As Clutton rightly says, whatever CO is described as, the end result of exposure to it is likely to be the same.

Any LL who has a "lapse" with the timing of gas safety checks/ certification would be hard pressed to show that s/he had shown due diligence towards their T, should they be exposed to CO, fatally or otherwise. 50 - 70 quid per annum is the usual cost to just get it done. And of course, no provider of LL insurances is going to cover you for anything boiler-fault-related if you haven't complied with the law either.

macster77

Hi,

Can someone confirm this. Apparently, the tenant is committing an offence if the tenant continues to use a suspect gas appliance (with no gas cert).

So, if there is no gas cert for months and the heating system in the house is thought to be dodgy (and the LL don't seem to be bothered despite numerous e-mails, etc.), do we have to keep the heating off and get electric heaters???

Pssst

Dont get excited about it.Give the landlord a chance.

Yes ,if a person uses an appliance which they know or suspect to be defective then they are committing an offence under the GSIUR. Having an appliance which has not been maintained is not sufficient grounds to suspect that an appliance may be dangerous.

sooz

start you own thread on this - hopefully more people will see it & reply.

I can't see how the tenant could be committing an offence for continuing to use the LL's gas appliances. There is a clause in my agreements, about the tenant having to have their own gas appliances checked, if they choose to bring them into the flat. I guess this covers things like those large portable gas heaters - does anyone still use them?

But why would you want to continue to use gas appliances that you think are 'dodgy'?

Write to your LL (don't call or email) & demand a gas safety check in the next week, or you will get one done yourself, & bill the LL. Copy your letter to the Private housing officer at your local council. State in the letter when & how you have already contacted the LL about this matter.

Pssst

clutton wrote: »

""I'm told by some fella in my department that cabon monoxide isn't poisonous. Apparently it's technically not a poison, it's an asphyxiant.)

but it still kills you whatever you call it

True ,and a little known fact is that gas burning appliances do not produce appreciable amounts of CO under normal operating conditions.

sooz

Pssst wrote: »

Dont get excited about it.Give the landlord a chance.

A chance to what? macster77 says s/he has had no certificate for months!

Pssst

sooz wrote: »

A chance to what? macster77 says s/he has had no certificate for months!

Yes sorry,didnt read the whole story just the first few postings....:o

clutton_2

Health and Safety at work Acts put the onus of responsibility for health and safety clearly on the shoulders of both providers of equipment (employers for example) and workers to workwith /use equipment in a safe manner.

Landlords have a Duty Of Care to tenants under H&S legislation.

i surmise that if a gas appliance has been inspected and then taped as "UNSAFE DO NOT USE" by a CORGI gas engineer, then the tenant would have some culpability for their own misfortune if there were to be injury or death.

If this inspection has not taken place, how would the tenant know the equipment was faulty ?

btw - the regs say that a LL does not have to produce the Landlords safety certificate for either 14 or 28 days (cant quite recall which) after the inspectoin takes place

shellsuit

I had a gas check done in December 2006.

The one after that I had done last month.

In between that time, I'd rang the agents, the landlady, the corgi guy himself, the council AND HSE....all numerous times.

Nobody wanted to know. (I'm sure there are old threads on here about it)

What can you do if nobody is interested? Sod all.

Pssst

shellsuit wrote: »

I had a gas check done in December 2006.

The one after that I had done last month.

In between that time, I'd rang the agents, the landlady, the corgi guy himself, the council AND HSE....all numerous times.

Nobody wanted to know. (I'm sure there are old threads on here about it)

What can you do if nobody is interested? Sod all.

Indeed,there is some truth in this . HSE arent interested unless there has been an incident of some kind that they can investigate/prosecute.