New map exposes Britain's most dangerous gas hotspots

As a fresh wave of recruits begin their gas engineering training, new figures reveal the importance of safety knowledge and practical experience.

Gas Safe Register – the domestic gas industry watchdog -“ has launched a national interactive map revealing the areas with the worst gas safety record in terms of domestic properties. The map was launched to coincide with Gas Safety Week a few weeks ago and identifies the number of unsafe gas appliances that have been found within a particular postcode as well as how many unregistered gas engineers have been in operation in the area and the number of gas incidents and emergencies recorded.

Gas Safe Register , which has inspected close to 100,000 British homes over the past three years, said one in every six households contains an unsafe gas appliance. Meanwhile, one in every 25 homes contains a gas appliance which poses immediate danger and is at risk of causing a gas fire, explosion, leak or carbon monoxide poisoning.

The data includes information from the national gas emergency networks such as National Grid which together attended 120,000 unsafe gas incidents. It shows that one in three gas customers have never arranged for their appliances to be safety checked or for routine maintenance to be carried out. The research also highlighted that gas fires continue to post the most danger to homeowners in terms of gas appliances.

Homeowners continue to invite unregistered and unqualified gas fitters into their homes, exposing themselves to untold dangers through shoddy workmanship. There are a number of fast-track courses which provide gas trainees with the right knowledge and expertise to work as a gas fitter so long as you gain the relevant practical experience on the job so there’s no excuse to shun professional courses and qualifications in favour of a cowboy approach.

Safety is paramount to Gas Training and Assessment’s and we ensure all our gas fitters enter the industry with the right knowledge and expertise to perform the jobs they are employed to carry out. We maintain the highest safety standards and ensure that when our trainees leave us they also hold the protection of people and property as paramount to their work.