| With your New Year's resolutions made - and | | | | do you find a reputable one?a) Ask friends and |
| hopefully not broken - it's a good time to reflect | | | | family for recommendations?b) Look in Yellow |
| on your family's home safety needs. | | | | Pages or the local newspaper?c) Check their |
| It is shocking to learn that every year families die | | | | professional qualifications? |
| in their homes as a result of unsafe or neglected | | | | 9. How many people die in their homes each year |
| gas or electric installations or appliances. In the UK, | | | | as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning caused |
| 72 fires a day are caused by faulty electrics and | | | | by gas appliances and flues?a) 5b) 18c) 30 |
| at least 30 people a year are killed. Hundreds | | | | 10. How often do I need to have an EPC done?a) |
| more are affected by carbon monoxide. | | | | Every ten yearsb) Annuallyc) Monthly |
| Take the short quiz below to test your | | | | Answers |
| knowledge of some very basic safety rules. | | | | 1. a) Your boiler needs servicing at least once |
| 1. How often do you have your boiler serviced?a) | | | | year. Any boilers, and particularly older ones such |
| Once a year?b) Every 3 or 4 years?c) When it | | | | as back boilers, can be extremely dangerous if |
| breaks down? | | | | they are neglected. |
| 2. Your kitchen needs an extra electrical point | | | | 2. c) Since January 2005 any electrical work in the |
| what do you do?a) As you're quite handy, save | | | | home in England and Wales must now be done by |
| money by doing it yourself?b) Get a mate to do | | | | a Part P competent electrician who should issue |
| it for cash in hand?c) Employ a professional | | | | you with a Part P certificate of any works done. |
| electrician who is Part P competent to do it for | | | | 3. c) Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer. |
| you? | | | | Detectors are recommended to be placed next |
| 3. Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?a) | | | | to main gas appliances such as boilers and open |
| What's that?b) No - you have a keen sense of | | | | fires. These should be regularly checked and |
| smell and don't need onec) Yes - next to your | | | | replaced. |
| central heating boiler and gas fire | | | | 4. a) Call the engineer immediately. |
| 4. Your open gas fire has started to develop | | | | 5. All of them! But in this order a,c,d,b. The |
| orange flames. Do you:a) Call in a qualified gas | | | | number to call is 0800 111 999. |
| engineer immediately?b) Think how pretty it | | | | 6. c) Smoke streaks next to a gas fire are a sign |
| looks?c) Notice how dirty it is, so give the coals a | | | | of carbon monoxide leaks. Turn the gas off |
| quick dust? | | | | straightaway and call an engineer. |
| 5. You smell gas - what do you do?a) Don't turn | | | | 7. d) It is important that you get the gas and |
| on any or all the lights/ appliances?b) Open the | | | | electrics tested on a regular basis by a qualified |
| windows?c) Call the National Grid immediately?d) | | | | engineer. |
| Turn off the gas supply at the mains? | | | | 8. c) is the most important. A gas engineer should |
| 6. There are dark smoke streaks next to the gas | | | | be Corgi registered, and an electrician Part P |
| fire on the wall. Do you:a) Repaint the wall?b) Turn | | | | competent (in England and Wales) and a member |
| the fire down - it must be too hot?c) Turn the | | | | of either the NICEIC or ELECSA. |
| fire off and call an engineer immediately? | | | | 9. c) Don't be one of them! Get your gas boiler |
| 7. As a homeowner, what can you do to | | | | and appliances serviced now. |
| safeguard your family?a) Get the boiler tested | | | | 10. a) The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) |
| annually?b) Get the electrics tested to make sure | | | | is valid for ten years and must be carried out by |
| there are no hidden surprises?c) Always call a | | | | accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs). |
| qualified (Gas Safe Register and NICEIC or | | | | The EPC report will provide the information that |
| ELECSA) engineer to do the gas and electrical | | | | grades the property on its energy and carbon |
| work in your homed) All of the above | | | | emission efficiency. |
| 8. You need an electrician or a gas engineer. How | | | | |