Hospitality sector warned over gas checks

Wolseley wants installers to be more proactive when it comes to gas safety checks.
Wolseley wants installers to be more proactive when it comes to gas safety checks.

As the hospitality sector fires up for the busy Christmas and New Year period, Wolseley Plumb Center is calling for installers to ensure regular gas checks take place.

Previous reports have highlighted the risks being taken in this sector and Wolseley Plumb Center advocates that more still needs to be done. A survey carried out by British Gas found around a fifth of hospitality businesses are not aware they could be invalidating their insurance by not having an annual gas safety check.

These stats are being highlighted as new regulations hit the industry in the New Year. Both the Gas Appliances Regulation and the Ecodesign of Energy Related Products mean a change in the way boilers are sold throughout the UK. The new changes will include products previously excluded, such as gas-fired high temperature water boilers and steam boilers.

More importantly for manufacturers and installers, CE marking will now also apply to gas fittings as well as the appliances themselves.

Richard Harvey, category director for heating at Wolseley Plumb Center, said: “The new regulations coming into force will mean further improvements to the safety of gas appliances being distributed across the EU. Wolseley Plumb Center has over 200,000 parts which can be checked by installers for stock availability in branch. Our branch staff can also offer technical advice on each of the parts ordered too.

“Installers are the best source of information, advice and guidance for any business within the hospitality sector unsure whether they need to have a gas check, especially as we head into the busy Christmas period. We would encourage heating engineers to proactively contact business owners in their area to identify whether their appliances have been checked and are safe.”

The consequences of not having a regular gas check-up can be catastrophic to businesses which are looking to increase their profits this Christmas. For example, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the biggest killers from an outdated appliance or boiler and the correct check will confirm whether this is a risk.

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