SMS is supporting Gas Safety Week 2021

SMS has pledged its support for Gas Safety Week (13 – 19 September 2021) which aims to raise awareness about the importance of gas safety.

Gas Safety Week sees organisations from across the UK work together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Throughout the week, SMS will be partaking in a social media campaign that highlights gas safety and celebrates the work that Gas Safe Registered engineers do every day.

This year, Gas Safety Week is addressing a whole range of gas safety matters for gas users across the country – from advice about how to stay gas safe, to raising awareness of using a registered engineer who is legally qualified.

David Hosie, Head of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) at SMS said: “I’m personally proud of the work our employees carry out on a daily basis to check and improve gas safety standards in the homes and businesses of the consumers that we visit. I’ve lost count of the interventions we’ve taken to identify and make safe the issues that we find. But our influence doesn’t need to stop there, we must also play our part by joining with other industry leaders to raise awareness of gas safety and how each of us can keep ourselves and our friends and family safe. Please join in by promoting and supporting the campaign. Together we can make a difference.”

Iain Hyslop, SHEQ Director at SMS, added: “Safety is our priority and number one core value as a business and we are delighted to be supporting Gas Safety Week once again this year. Gas safety is something that is always at the forefront of our minds with hundreds of our engineers at the frontline of the country’s energy supply each day through the installation and maintenance of gas and electric smart meters. Training and educating our employees in health and safety is something we therefore take very seriously and we’re really looking forward to extending this awareness about gas safety in general to our stakeholders and a wider audience through our social media platforms.”

Jonathan Samuel, chief executive for Gas Safe Register, said: “It’s great to see so many people supporting Gas Safety Week this year to help share important and, in some cases, lifesaving advice about gas safety. The last year or so has taught us the vital importance of helping and supporting those in our communities. Ensuring people always use a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to work on gas appliances in their homes is a great way to show how we can work together to stay gas safe.’’

Gas Safe Register is the official register for legally qualified engineers. You can find a registered engineer in your area by visiting the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk.

 To keep you and your family safe, follow Gas Safe Register’s top tips:

• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning; headaches, nausea, breathlessness, collapse, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
• If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak, call the free 24-hour national gas emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999.
• Never attempt to work on a gas appliance yourself, always seek the help of a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer who can work on your gas cooker, boiler or fire in a safe way.
• Don’t cut corners – only employ a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer when having gas work carried out in your home.
• Always ask to see your engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. Make sure you check the back of the card, which will state which gas appliances they are qualified to work on.