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Housing trust could go legal to ensure gas safety
CREWE Wulvern Housing could take legal action to gain entry to homes in order to carry out vital safety checks.
The housing trust has launched a high profile campaign to raise awareness of gas safety and may take legal action when it is denied access to make necessary checks.
The project follows news that 16 people in the UK died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues, which had not been properly installed or maintained.
Many others also suffered ill health.When gas does not burn properly, as with other fuels such as coal, wood or oil, excess CO is produced which is poisonous.
Known as the 'silent killer', carbon monoxide is highly poisonous and undetectable to human senses.
It can kill without warning in just a matter of hours and cannot be seen, smelt or tasted.
Exposure to even very low levels can cause brain damage or death and people are particularly vulnerable when they are asleep.
Wulvern Housing is responsible for the annual gas safety checks of around 4,250 homes, which have gas appliances and takes its legal responsibility to ensure appliances, fittings and flues are safe, guarding against the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Wulvern's gas services manager Bob Holder said: "We are committed to ensuring the safety of our tenants remains a top priority.
"However, we are very concerned that despite our efforts to gain access to all homes to carry out annual gas safety checks a small minority of people still fail to co-operate to allow these very important checks to take place.
"Due to the importance of this potentially life-saving work we will be looking to take legal action to gain entry to properties of the small minority of tenants who refuse to comply."
Sent: 25/04/2008
Email us direct at: repairs@londonheatingservices.co.uk
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